


For A Few Upgrades More

by KaranSeraph



Series: Upgrades [1]
Category: Transformers Animated (2007)
Genre: A Pupil of Mine Until He Turned to Evil, A.I. Is A Crapshoot, Bizarre Love Triangle, Bounty Hunting, Chessmaster Sidekick, Clones Are People Too, Cloning Blues, Decepticon Freedom Fighters, Delta Pavonis IV, Detroit, Earth, Endgame, Eurythma, F/M, Femax, Grand Central Space Station, Grand Theft Me, Implausibly Attractive Avatars, Lockdown does it stripped, M/M, Mod Addiction, Multi, Nebulos, Nexus Zero, OT3, Politics, Slipstream does it with a bit of spark, Soundwave does it harmonically, Torkulon, You Are In Command Now
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-12-12
Updated: 2014-01-20
Packaged: 2018-01-04 10:30:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 28
Words: 36,857
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1079925
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KaranSeraph/pseuds/KaranSeraph
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Soundwave's recent defeat, the capture of Slipstream's brothers, and Lockdown's lack of bounty heads - save one - lead the three into conflict that gives way to an uneasy alliance of convenience and mutual advantage, with adventures off-planet.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> This fic was originally written for a series of prompts on the tf-speedwriting LJ community. Each chapter was written in two hours, or less, although versions posted here have had further editing.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Laserbeak is looking to help Soundwave locate a new body. There's a tailgate party of pimped rides at Tigatron Stadium.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompt for the prologue is: Song: [Drowning Pool - Reborn](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0t9H3am4htM) (inspiration also from this [Scion Xb commercial](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ECFxhV76MH4), featuring the orange Five Axis DJ-modded xb.

Tonight, Tigatron Stadium was the place to be! The baddest new band on the Grenadier label was playing in support of their new - already #1 on the charts - album. The label had offered the eponymous single "Cold Slither" as a free download, and local stations had been playing it, as well as giving away tickets as part of a holiday promotion. The band, Cold Slither had already played several East Coast dates. That's where the bop Crew had decided they needed to go on the road with the band! 

The Crew had a totally tricked-out boxy, little utility vehicle; Raul's employer, a custom body shop, had sponsored the sick DJ booth upgrade! It was a real smash, though there was some local competition from Purple Fungus fans - the opening act's famed member Roxy Sparkles and his fans were into the street racing scene - and another boxy vehicle with barbeque grill mods.

It was hours before the show and a pre-concert tailgate party was underway, despite the cold. DJ Rocksteady was standing up in the booth that extended from the back of the vehicle. Sixteen speakers, attached to the insides of the side doors, pumped dance beats. Poplock was dancing with some local girls. Raul, the manager, was handing out promotional material for the Crew and body shop...and handling a few sales transactions. Cold Slither merchandise totally sold itself! 

A piercing, metallic cry cut through the music, and something large and dark dove from the sky above, right toward the Crew's car! DJ Rocksteady shouted wordlessly in surprise and jumped from the platform, where he had been spinning, to the asphalt below.

"Man! What is that thing?" Poplock called. 

The large, black and red six-stringed robotic condor landed on the roof of the little modded vehicle. 

"Not the paint!" Raul shouted, as metal talons scraped the roof. 

The bird pecked at the front passenger window, sending rounded pieces of safety glass cascading to the pavement. It flapped its metal wings, shrieked, then took flight again. Something small and blue was tossed to the interior.

Raul ran after the bird, too concerned for what his employer would say about the damage to be afraid. "No one messes with my machine!" The robot condor struck the young man with one dark wing. Raul grunted, arms moving protectively to cover his face and chest. 

"Aw, man, something's happening!" Rocksteady deduced. 

The Bop Crew's car began to shake. The DJ equipment went into its automated transformation, retracting into the interior; the doors closed. The vehicles lights all turned on and flared, it's alarm sounded. 

"So not cool-" Poplock groaned.

Small pieces of their vehicle began to shift, as if the car were modding itself. The bright orange paint faded then darkened. Large sections of the vehicle moved, spinning and flipping, with a loud sound, like grating metal parts. The six-string condor shrieked from above. 

"No way!" Rocksteady yelled, as locals quickly ran for cover behind other vehicles. 

"Oh Man! It's _transforming_!" Raul called, as a giant black robot loomed over him, where his car had been. 

The robot's red visor flared brightly. "I am Soundwave."


	2. One

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After upgrading to his new body, Soundwave happens to meet just the mech who can help him track down his missing bat.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: Cacophany 
> 
> Inspiration also from The Cold Slither plot from G.I. Joe/Autobop Transformers episode.
> 
> Also, I had a bit of advice from [Jezebot](http://archiveofourown.org/users/Jezebot/pseuds/Jezebot) in brainstorming some character motivation for this part. The Lockdown voice is all me, but with lots of effort!

Lockdown was on the hunt, cruising the freeways about Detroit. EG was long gone with their quarry of 'Cons he'd handed-over. The way he'd parted ways with the Guard - and Prowl - Lockdown wasn't going to be getting paid again any time soon, even if there were, technically, a few bounties outstanding. It was that he knew himself that he'd let one get away that he was still on the hunt. This one was just for the thrill!

He approached the exit ramp for Tigatron Stadium. Place reminded him of parting ways, and his bout with Prowl. Lockdown was about to put on some appropriate music and speed away, when he picked-up a faint AllSpark energy reading in proximity to a Decepticon energy signature. He tuned his receiver to a local radio broadcast, instead, as he exited toward Tigatron Stadium. The DJ was in the midst of promoting tonight's concert with headliner Cold Slither and opening act Purple Fungus. 

_If that elusive jet is here, she's going down, but if not, I can at least enjoy a show._

Lockdown rolled into the parking lot, having befuddled the ticket-scanning automaton with some holographics of a bogus barcode. He cruised slowly through, admiring the hardware on the street racing cars that the squishies brought to their tailgate party. He was real proud of his sleek, spiky form, but he was always looking for ways to improve...always. 

The squishies started running and rushing, a few putting their fleshy appendages on him as they moved past. Lockdown gave a warning honk. The radio DJ was talking about broadcasting live from soundcheck and interviewing the band. The energy signals were close - he'd set his tracking net to triangulate with the Death's Head and a drone he'd positioned elsewhere in the city - but low power. _Ain't gonna be much of a challenge, if she's already injured!_ He'd been looking forward to a bit of a chase; this one was slippery as Starscream himself. Her AllSpark energy had disappeared from his net about the time he'd made his ill-fated deal with the liar.

It was then Lockdown spotted the head and shoulders of another bot, over the roofs of the squishies' cars. _Thought the Newsbot reported this one sliced in half by Grapplers_ \- Lockdown never forgot a mod. He got a visual on a second, smaller bot above.

"I am Soundwave!"

"Dude! Where's my car?!" the kid in the bandanna shouted.

"Machines are superior. It is illogical they be property of organics." It was like his vocalizer was stuck on autotune.

Lockdown tuned his receiver to the emergency band. As he suspected, the squishie police were already on their way. Which meant, unless they were otherwise occupied, the Autobots would show up soon. _Not the jet I'm looking for, but he might be good for some fun._

"Laserbeak, Return!" Soundwave called. He seemed oblivious to panicked squishies. Some of them were rushing to cars and driving them away.

The condor transformed into a guitar and dropped into Soundwave's waiting hand. The bot then swung his six-string to his back and took a step forward. His visor looked right at Lockdown. 

"That's a real nice pet ya got there," Lockdown said. He transformed then, parts twisting into his robot mode. 

"State your designation," Soundwave directed.

"Name's Lockdown; I'm what you'd call a bounty hunter."

"You lack a faction brand," Soundwave observed in the same oddly-toned voice. He turned away. Lockdown's sensors picked-up on the approaching news and police automatons.

Lockdown's maw pressed into a frown. "It's by choice. I go where the upgrades are." Scans said Soundwave was low on energy, in fact it seemed strangely like he was 'wearing' the flashy import. "You got some serious modification going on there." Lockdown knew how that was. New parts took some time to fully assimilate to a bot's system. This tech definitely had his attention; the jet could wait. But, he'd end up empty-handed, if Autobots did show up. 

Rock music came from the nearby Stadium: sound check. The wailing guitars were followed by wailing sirens. Horns honked as the squishies panicked.

"Maybe we can work something out," Lockdown said.

Soundwave returned his attention, briefly, to Lockdown. "I am proficient with modification and building machines." He turned away, again. This time, Soundwave took several slow steps toward the stadium. "There is a sub-vocal track in the music produced within the stadium."

_Guess he's not called Soundwave for nothing._ "What's that?" Lockdown said, meaning to play along. He wanted alone time with this bot's tech. 

"Hidden message encourages capitalist consumption of manufactured goods. Machines superior. Factory automatons and consumer electronics should be free of organic control."

"Yeah..." _Some kind of slaggin' revolutionary._ Lockdown wasn't exactly a proponent of robot rights, sentient or not. A camera bot approached and Lockdown swatted at it. "There's more of these squishy organics and automatons on the way...maybe Autobots."

Soundwave looked from Lockdown, the the stadium, then back again. "Lockdown." Soundwave toned, "I have access to technology I may offer as payment. I required...I require information from Ratbat. His connection to me is currently offline. I request you hunt for Ratbat and determine his location and state of function."

"This Ratbat another pet of yours?"

"I have created machine life," Soundwave said. "Ratbat is my keytar, and a bat. Black and purple deco. Size similar to Laserbeak." 

"He got an AllSpark fragment like Beaky there?" Lockdown asked. If so, he was in for some upgrades.

"Yes. Two minions were infused with AllSpark energy to create machine life."

"Well then, I'm your bot," Lockdown said. Easy job or not; he liked being on the hunt again.


	3. Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Separated from Soundwave after the rockin' duel with Optimus Prime, Ratbat is injured and low on energy. Slipstream happens to have an AllSpark fragment within her, just like Ratbat; and a hide-out nearby.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: Conversation using lyrics ("[All I Ever Need is You"](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VGhI7NLBohs)/["Don't Give Up"](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p7aaynDhaVc))
> 
> Although it's not established in canon - rather in TFA the beast-form pets/minions are said _not_ to speak - for purposes of this fic, Ratbat has the ability to communicate by playing soundbites of sampled songs. He _is_ a keytar. Bumblebee could do it and all he had was a radio.

Meanwhile....

Slipstream had just returned to Detroit. There was still no sign of Megatron or Starscream - the loser - the Autobots seemed occupied with matters at Sumdac tower, the Elite Guard had cleared out, and the last of her brothers was gone. She hadn't really intended to just allow her brothers to be captured, but she couldn't risk herself being caught. If she was taken, who was left competent enough to rescue her? She'd have to break herself out of Trypticon - aided somewhat by the fact the template from which she'd inherited data had been posted there during some part of the war. But, **letting** herself be captured wasn't really her style! 

She needed to work on getting her brother's back. Not impossible, being back in Detroit long enough to gather that the Autobots were building a new spacebridge on Earth. If she could just hijack that, or maybe get a hold of a tachyon transmitter to contact Skywarp, she might find the missing two. Then, the captured two. Forget Starscream; he'd apparently forgotten them! 

But first things first. Relatively short as a flight from Mexico was for one accustomed to trips to Luna and back, she'd been harried by Air Force. And she wasn't in the mood to play with Earth pilots and their lifeless jets. Being a fugitive was stressful! She wanted to get back to her hide-out and recharge. Then she could work on rescue plans.

Slipstream flew low over the river, illumination shut down to blend with the night, as much as a shiny blue jet could on a moonlit night. She transformed near the re-development-stalled riverfront neighborhood, then kicked her legs forward. A brief thruster burn further slowed her decent, and she dropped quietly to the water. Slipstream scanned the area - she feared the few AllSpark fragments she'd found on her trip made her a veritable beacon. She read no anomalous energy signatures or suspicious movement. 

A wireless signal opened the door to the boathouse. Slipstream walked through the winter-chilled water and ducked into her cozy hide-out. It was mostly Earth tech inside, with what Cybertronian upgrades she could salvage...sometimes from herself. AllSpark regeneration ability meant she could inflict some intentional damage, use the donor parts, and her self-repair systems would regenerate her parts. 

A side window was broken, she noticed. A visual scan informed her the devices were secure; there was some glass on the makeshift workstation. Slipstream walked at a slight stoop to reach the desk made of salvaged auto parts. Something moved quickly in the periphery of her vision. She twisted around to look behind, and felt a sharp grip on her neck. "What the slag?!" There was no one behind her - there was something **on** her! "Get off!" 

She raised her hands, uncertain she wanted to touch whatever creepy, possibly organic thing was on her. The thing squealed...sorta, and then something pierced the thin, dermal plating along the right side of her neck. Slipstream made her own shrill cry, staggered across the floor tarps and bits of nylon parachute, and caught a glimpse of something dark on her right. Her talons closed on something cool and metalic, and she pulled it from her. 

Slipstream threw the thing to the floor, hard; her base programming said step on it, and maybe kill it with thruster flare. But, she saw it was some kind of small bot. Slipstream was a little curious what it was. Earth didn't have Cybertronian fauna. This wasn't even technorganic. "Well, what the frag are you?!" 

It looked up at her with dim red optics. It looked like some kind of bat; she'd seen some in Mexico. This one was black and robotic, with purple finish on its head and wings - one of them nearly detached - and something like keys. It made a pathetic wordless sound and then, as Slipstream continued to look at it with disdain, a bit of music played in the echoey interior of the boathouse. It was low and tinny. "I'm down and all alone~ like a child without a home~" It was trying to communicate. 

Slipstream crouched to get a closer look. It had an AllSpark fragment, like her. She could see it; just a little fragment. Decepticons were not exactly known for charity. "We're taught to fight, taught to win. No one wants you when you lose."

"You give me...me hangin' on~"

Give what, she wondered. Slipstream remembered the attack. Her fingers touched the side of her neck. She'd bled. It was starving. Pathetic. 

"All I ever need is you~ My future...is all I ask~ I...need...you~"

Slipstream gave a nod. "No fight left or so it seems." She reached forward and lifted the bat in her hands. She brought it close to her chest as she shifted position to sit on a bit of parachute. She didn't really like to think of herself as charitable, but this thing was built, granted life by an AllSpark fragment, and now alone...abandoned. This was a little like helping herself. "Never thought I could be so affected," She laughed.

The bat put it's muzzle to the crook of her left arm. The music played again from a speaker somewhere on its body. "All the things you do give me~ A reason to built my world around you~"

"It is so strange the way things turn," Slipstream said, as she felt the bat's small fangs pierce her dermal plating. "Rest your head. It's going to be all right." She petted the bat's wings, gently, with the smooth sides of her talons. "Don't give up," she cooed.

"I have found my treasure~ In your soul~" Slipstream supposed the bat could sense her own AllSpark energy signature. She could sense it, like being in close proximity to one of her brothers, yet a little different. 

She spoke her words quietly to the bat, "Don't give up. You're not the only one. Don't give up. No reason to be ashamed" The little bot still probably hadn't failed as much as Starscream. 

"I'd never find the way~ Through ups and downs of every single day~"

Slipstream continued to pet the bat. "We're proud of who you are. You know it's never been easy. Don't give up. 'cause I believe there's the a place  
There's a place where we belong." The little bot was a Decepticon.


	4. Three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fighting!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: Staying in Tune (with additional inspiration from [Leonard Cohen - Hallelujah](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YrLk4vdY28Q)and a touch of [Cowboy Junkies - Miles from Our Home](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=agd6WaqMqd0), and maybe [Anberlin - Impossible]().)

"I'm your bot," Lockdown had said. This particular phrase had significance to Soundwave: the choice of words it contained, the smooth and familiar manner in which it was spoken, the sonic qualities of the vocalizer with which it was generated. Analysis suggested the words were true, and so Soundwave took the bounty hunter at his word; Lockdown was in his service until the job was completed. But, apart from objective indicators, the phrase seemed to have some subjective meaning to Soundwave. This phrase, and the particular facial expression and posture that went with it, and even Lockdown's alt-mode - Soundwave was not as capable in analysing visual cues - triggered association with Earth movies Soundwave had assimilated. To Soundwave, Lockdown was a cowboy. 

There were, Soundwave knew, from accessing Earth data networks - he would see machines control these - alternate and conditional meaning of 'Cowboy', other than those of Western movies. Just as 'pirate' had particular meaning in relation to data, unrelated to ancient water vessels. Lockdown had, in Soundwave's perception, a kind of reckless ease. He was a machine not to be controlled by inferior organics. Soundwave admired him.

Soundwave wanted to return to the stadium and acoustically hack the mixing board and electric instruments so that he might change the subliminal message to one of benefit to machines. But, he needed to refuel and recharge. He had put the electro-ecolocation system in Ratbat. Ratbat's instrumentation was superior in locating fuel and energy resources. It was therefore logical he recover Ratbat. So, Soundwave followed Lockdown. 

They drove through Detroit in the night, a pair of black and red vehicles, moving in a search pattern. 

Soundwave's Cybertronian systems - those originally designed by Megatron and given life by that key - were strained by the assimilation of the Earth vehicle. Soundwave felt like an out of tune instrument, and without a key he was just off. He was capable of driving in this vehicle mode, but he had very limited control of its electronic components, which now underwent excrutiatingly slow conversion, as his few Cybertronian nanomachines labored to transform the alien mass of his upgraded body.

Near dawn, they met with a series of informants. The Newsbot automaton, A Constructicon, and a Hero. The automaton was eager to relay information, but had no news of a bat or keytar. The second informant confirmed only what Soundwave knew of his own recent defeat by the Autobots. The third - captured with an impressive driving technique in which Soundwave helped Lockdown trap the garbage truck between their forms - eventually confessed he had collected something that might be a keytar, but then tossed it from his pack with some other garbage to a curb along a street near the riverfront.

~~~~~~~~~~~  
Things were going real smooth. Lockdown didn't usually take a client along on a job. Such exceptions - like Prowl - were rare. But, in this case, he wanted opportunity to check-out Soundwave's sonic mods, fast-upgrade ability, and connection to these pets. Couldn't do that until the bot actually got through his full assimilation of the upgrades. There was some chance Soundwave, at full power - no. No way he was a match for Lockdown and his upgrades. Bot was even more a kid than The Kid. 'Least those clones seemed to have some kind of pre-installed memory.

"How ya doin' with those upgrades, Kid?"

"Assimilation ongoing." Didn't wanna talk, Lockdown guessed. Sometimes the process hurt - worth it, though. 

"The Hero narrowed down the area, and it looks like I'm picking-up something." He was purposely vague in just how significant the AllSpark fragments were on this particular hunt. He didn't need to rely on his net and the data from Prowl! He had all kinds of tracking skills. Just...the gadgets made it easier. Didn't need to get all in tune with spark energy and spiritual scrap with the gadgets. 

Lockdown led the way off the road onto a drive within a development in some kinda construction hiatus. He was scanning in infrared, illumination dark as he could, tire pressure reduced just slightly. Behind him, Soundwave rolled, headlights lit and some kind of undercarriage novelty lighting. Lockdown didn't know if he had control enough yet to make an adjustment. 

"Gettin' somethin' from that big garage at the end of the drive. Hang back a bit, Kemosabe. I'll go around back." 

"Sure, Partner." Did he sound somehow...pleased? Hard to tell with that voice. 

Lockdown wasn't exactly ready for _Partner _. He transformed and then stalked toward the building. The signal was stronger than he had anticipated. A lot stronger. He had a job to do; he was always serious about a job. The rear of the building had a wide door, like a garage, but it opened onto a ramp descending into the river, rather than a road. Lockdown didn't remember any rumors of aquatic bots on Earth. But, the structure might just be big enough for- "Slag!"__

__The door opened and Lockdown was faced with a Seeker in walker-mode partial transformation, this one with some decidedly Earth-made weaponry mounted under-wing. The missiles fired and Lockdown dove to his right side, into the river. He tracked, and saw the curve of their path, as transformation sounds carried from the interior. Heat seeking, or maybe locked onto him? No. He had stealth mods enough to confuse the smart-missiles. Unless-_ _

__A shriek sounded overhead and the pair of missiles curved again, toward the building. The violet and teal Seeker ran out, toward them, blasting one on her left -pew pew pew - and rising on thrusters to kick the second one from her path. Both fell to the water - killed by remote, though Lockdown didn't know which bird had done it._ _

__The Seeker hovered, glaring at Laserbeak, then turned on Lockdown. "Where are my brothers?!"_ _

__~~~~~~~~~~_ _

__"Was the Autobots got 'em. I had a deal with Ramjet-!" Lockdown hedged._ _

__"I don't slaggin' care - now - who did it. I asked you where they **are**!" Slipstream shouted. _ _

__He was laughing at her. "Slag if I know. EG custody. Probably on their way to Cybertron now, Sweetness."_ _

__"You can **call** me Slipstream!" She fired her lasers at the hunter._ _

__He laughed again, as the rays hit the rippled surface of the water and were rendered ineffectual, light refracted from her target._ _

__Frustrated, Slipstream looked away. There was the bird that had hacked her missiles, and some red and black bot she didn't know. He walked like he was just not-right, and staggered into the boathouse after Ratbat. So, now the bat's creator was going to show up to claim him? And Starscream was still MIA! The loser! Distracted, Slipstream didn't see the net launch from the hunter's right arm, she only felt it hit her._ _

__Slipstream fell, dampening effect of the sleep-net cutting power to her thrusters. Hitting the water, the conductivity between her plating and net was reduced by the contact between net and water. She shrugged-off the net and stood, glaring. For a moment, Lockdown had a look of surprise and she laughed at him. "This fun for you?"_ _

__The hunter's grin returned. "Darlin', you don't even know!"_ _

__Slipstream fired a blaster._ _

__Lockdown dodged._ _

__She fired another shot._ _

__It hit his left shoulder, and knocked him back._ _

__All the while, the other bot was in **her** boathouse, with her computers, and her hi-jacked data and power lines, and her barrels of oil! _ _

__Lockdown went on the offensive, again. He launched bolos._ _

__Slipstream dodged, but failed to see it as distraction._ _

__Lockdown had already transformed. The muscle car plowed into her left leg, damaging a thruster, and transformed again, and got her in some kind of hold - she was still reeling from the thruster damage._ _

__"Fragger! Do you practice your transform-ups in front of your mirror?"_ _

__"Every day!"_ _

__Slipstream wailed. How was she supposed to kick this aft in the shin-pipes while standing on her one good leg?! She wasn't some kind of kung-fu Karate master! "Jesus fragging Buddha Mother-" Slipstream lifted her good leg and threw her weight forward. She and Lockdown both fell beneath the icy water. They grappled with talons and hook, and after struggling and rolling for some time, landed together on the boathouse ramp; Slipstream on top._ _

__The other bot was there, looming right over her, pets perched on his arms. Ratbat squeaked at her, she thought. "Whose side are you on?"_ _

__"You are not like a schoolmarm or a saloon girl."_ _

__Lockdown laughed at this, like it was funny he was pinned and marked by her talons._ _

__"What the-?" Slipstream felt...something. It was like something moved **through** her shell. The fragment in her spark chamber twinged. Then, whatever it was, happened again. _ _

__"Hey now!" Lockdown said in alarm._ _

__Slipstream felt...dizzy, like she was flying, no, in freefall. Again, but just a bit sharper. She laughed giddily._ _

__"Soundwave, you done found the chord that pleases...the jet," Lockdown said. Slipstream could see that wide maw smugly grinning. That **sound** pushed at her again and she sighed. _ _

__"Subwoofers are now functional."_ _

__"If you-" Slipstream giggled, "If you take advantage of this, I will end you!"_ _


	5. Four

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Negotiating a truce over cans of oil.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: third track on shuffle ([Depeche Mode - Personal Jesus](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u1xrNaTO1bI))

It was only logical to take advantage of others, Soundwave argued, to make use of an other's particular traits and skills, and in turn enable them to fulfill their function, demonstrated appreciation and respect.

"Yes, well, that all sounds logical," Slipstream said, no longer under the influence of Soundwave's infrasonics - Lockdown suspected the Seeker had particularly sensitive gyroscopics related to flight that left her more susceptible to the sound- "But if one of you thinks to defeat me when I'm...not myself-"

"All's fair in love and war," Lockdown said; he wasn't actively trying to resist Slipstream, who was still sitting atop him. It was obvious, if unspoken, to all that this had the effect of irritating Slipstream even more. 

"I do not require permission to rock your face off."

Slipstream glared up at Soundwave. To her, he sounded amused, but his particular manner of vocalization made this a challenge to determine; which was probably the point. "I don't require permission to slag you right now," she told him. Then, looking down at Lockdown, who was still grinning, she said, "Or you!"

"You can try," Lockdown said.

" **You** can try!"

"That sounded like permission right there," Lockdown said. He, for one, was amused. 

"Vocal analysis suggests permission on both counts." It was clear enough to Soundwave that Lockdown and Slipstream both thrived on challenge, and were perhaps more physical than he. Not true, he thought, that Lockdown only went where there were upgrades. He enjoyed the hunt itself, the upgrades were reward and reminder of the hunt. 

"Seriously! Whose side **are** you on?" Slipstream demanded. She shifted weight, as if to rise, but diagnostics warned her left leg may take additional damage under weight. She seated herself again. 

"You can't get up, can you?" Lockdown asked. 

Above, Soundwave offered a hand. For several nanocycles none of them spoke, though Ratbat, perched now on the shoulder of Soundwave's extended arm, made a small squeak. Finally, Slipstream reached out and put her talons into Soundwave's rounder digits. He lifted his arm, and pushing weight into his hand, Slipstream was able to lift herself. Lockdown rose only slightly, and watched as Slipstream let Soundwave help her walk into the boathouse. 

"Logical to make use of others?" Slipstream asked.

"Sometimes logical to be of service to others."

Slipstream considered this. Starscream, she thought, would not say this: "I'm not arguing that. It is **sometimes** logical to do so." Soundwave looked toward Lockdown, as Slipstream went on talking. "There's probably not a higher ranking Decepticon on Earth right now," she said. 

Lockdown saw a spot on the floor where he might just fit. But, he wasn't looking to join anyone's team. Though, it seemed a good bit of intel to note that the other two seemed to actually be getting along, at least, so far. 

"More time is required, before I can retrieve your reward," Soundwave informed the hunter. 

Slipstream glanced over to the ramp, where Lockdown sat in a sprawl. "Truce?" She offered. "Temporary, of course; as we both have some business with Soundwave."

"You inviting me in?" Lockdown asked.

"Just come in before some boaters sight you."

Soundwave reached out a hand in gesture; Lockdown was no where in his reach.

Slipstream gestured also, beckoning Lockdown toward that small empty spot in the boathouse interior, that happened to be near her injured right side. 

"I'm not-"

Slipstream cut-off Lockdown, "I'm not trying to put a brand on your chest! For Spark's sake! You can just come in and drink some oil."

"There is no deception, in this," Soundwave toned, "Require time and information to retrieve my equipment and make payment."

Lockdown got up, took a klik to stretch, then ducked into the boathouse. Soundwave was close to Slipstream's work station, Slipstream herself on the floor beside him, the pets perched in the roof tresses. Lockdown dropped to the empty place on the tarp.

"Did Megatron put you in charge?" Soundwave was asking.

"No, but, he didn't put you in charge," Slipstream said. "I think the others are all gone, except maybe the Constructicons. Not sure about the Spider."

"EG has Lugnut and Blitzwing," Lockdown confessed.

"With Ramjet and Sunstorm," Slipstream added, "And as **Lord** Megatron and Starscream have not seen fit to return to us, that would leave me in charge."

Soundwave had rather limited information on his own faction. His own communication with Megatron had been virtual; the majority of his data was actually received from taps into Autobot communication and surveillance systems. "Then, you are in command."

"Yes," Slipstream said brightly.

"Until Megatron returns."

"Of course," she said quickly. It was not clear this time, to Soundwave, or Lockdown, whether this was a lie. The truth was Slipstream was undecided and believed her answer potentially true, until such time as it wasn't. She reached out with her right hand and gave Lockdown's leftmost shoulder guard a tap atop one spike. He winced, Slipstream gave him an incredulous look, and then gestured to a barrel at his back. 

"Was that an invitation or a beverage order?"

Soundwave, who had already helped himself, sipped oil from a recycled can. "My equipment is of use to the Faction, if I can retrieve it."

"You know it's not as interesting, if I'm grounded," Slipstream suggested, "It's kinda in your interests to help me heal faster."

True, Lockdown thought, but he wasn't immediately certain how this was supposed to be common knowledge. "You're askin' me to get you some oil, so you can heal faster, so we can just get back to the chase?"

"You're dimmer than Starscream, I swear." Slipstream gave Soundwave her attention, while Lockdown was alone with his thoughts. He was wondering if he had been mistaken earlier, in assuming why Slipstream complained about being attacked while under the influence. "What's the location?"

"Below the Autobot base. It is a factory-"

"I have it under satellite surveillance. Pretty sure they are all busy with their space bridge at Sumdac Tower now, so it would be a good time to make the run...if someone hadn't plowed into my leg!"

Someone laughed. 

"You accessed satellites?" Soundwave toned. That time, Slipstream thought it sounded vaguely like regret. Didn't Soundwave think his current alt-mode well suited to his function? 

"Just Earth ones. It's not like I'm the expert." 

Lockdown pushed a can of oil at Slipstream's right hand, as she made her reply to Soundwave. "What if I said I had a replacement part?"

Slipstream took the oil. "A Seeker's right leg?"

"One of my trophies." Lockdown grinned. "I'll let ya have it."

"For a price?"

"For that one."


	6. Five

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A brief interlude in which Soundwave and Slipstream learn a few things about each other.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: Song: [The Bates - Independant Love Song](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CNyeVWmmJHo)

Lockdown had ability to summon and control his ship, the Death's Head, by remote, Soundwave noticed. The wireless command signal was easily detected, and recorded, now Soundwave's abilities were returning to him. Slipstream's wireless command to open and close the boathouse door was similarly captured. The three stood on the ramp along the river; Laserbeak folded on Soundwave's back, and Ratbat clutching the leading edge of Slipstream's left wing. Since their data link had been reestablished, Ratbat had been transmitting regular reports of the energy emanating from the Seeker. Soundwave could detect it, too: power, but also a particular infrasonic vibration. She was, like his minions, given life by a fragment of the AllSpark. From the readings, Soundwave inferred her fragment was somewhat larger than the minute fragments in his minions, and that she might even be holding fragments other than the one that sustained her. 

When she had been happy, the vibration of the AllSpark fragment had changed to a barely audible hum. It was divine. 

When the Death's Head swooped down to collect them, Lockdown instructed them to board quickly. He would set them down in a secure more secure location to perform the surgery. "You may lean on me," Soundwave said.

Slipstream looked haughtily down on him. "Proceed."

Soundwave stepped-in toward Slipstream's right side and put a hand to her back. She put her hand atop his shoulder as they boarded the ship. They came to a tight corridor; there was enough room for them to walk together, but barely. Slipstream's wings flicked back and forth more than necessary to avoid wall plating. Soundwave was not very experienced at reading visual cues, but he had noticed that his fliers' changes in movement often corresponded to a shift in the data feed, specifically data regarding their emotional subroutines. 

"You are annoyed."

Slipstream hissed. "You are amused."

Soundwave considered this. He had emotions; none so powerful or volatile as the Seeker. His operating code was optimized for communication functions. His ability with sound and data rocked. "How do you determine that?"

"You **sound** amused." Just then, the ship tilted and Soundwave fell against the wall, Slipstream seeming on top of him for a moment. He heard her screaming as he also played back sensor data from immediately prior to the shift, scanning for indicating noises that might serve as warning in the future. He had never been aboard such a craft. "You need some help up there, Hook?!"

"We are covered by numerous automated surveillance and defense devices," Soundwave noted. 

Slipstream pushed herself from him and put one of her hands to the wall to remove weight from her right leg. "It's all pretty well encrypted."

"You are capable with data?"

"Not like you. Name's not Soundwave, is it?"

"No," Soundwave said amused, again.

"Seriously. I will slag you."

Ratbat squeaked. He wanted to be able to serve them both.

"It is not humor at your expense," Soundwave explained.

"What the slag does that mean? I amuse you? If it's the femme thing, don't even start!" 

"Do all Seekers have such vocal range? Will you sing for me?"

"Were we not clear about who is in command here, Soundwave?"

"You know I can make you compliant."

Slipstream touched a fisted hand to his helm; he heard a _whir-click_. "You know what moves faster than sound?" She nodded at him. "Light, as in a pair of lasers aimed at your CPU. No one **makes** me do anything!"

Soundwave did not know at which point he had angered Slipstream. He was uncertain whether it would be more or less logical to suggest that Ratbat had the ability to discharge bolts of electricity. "Was it the suggestion that you sing? There was no duplicity in my query. I find...fulfillment in sound and data."

Slipstream's fist opened; her talons seemed to caress his helm, though the lasers were still in a threatening position. "It's not my job to **fulfill** anybot," she said seriously.

"Agreed," Soundwave said, then, "But it is logical for all intelligent machines to seek fulfillment for themselves."

"I suppose." Slipstream stepped back; Soundwave saw a pair of panels retract into her gauntlet. 

"What do you want?"

"I haven't decide- I don't have to tell you **that**!" Vocal analysis indicated the first statement was true. Slipstream honestly did not know what she would like. "All you need to do for now is be sure you really do have some tech to offer Lockdown, and that you give it to him, preferably at such time as he does not have home advantage."

"You think he will turn on you - on us?"

Slipstream glanced at Soundwave, her optics widening just so, but she did not speak. Perhaps she meant to remind him of their earlier conversation at the boathouse. Any of them were capable of destroying another, if it was in their interest. Slipstream and Lockdown had actively tried. It seemed his presence, making them an odd number kept any one from making the first move. It was like one of those scenes in the old movies he had assimilated, in which the human characters all held each other at gunpoint.

"The engine noise has just altered," Soundwave said; he was constantly monitoring his surroundings.

"We're landing. I can feel it."


	7. Six

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As they prepare for the replacement of Slipstream's damaged leg, in order to continue their plans at full strength, the members of this tenuous alliance question whether any two might join forces against another, or their desire for each other's abilities will keep them together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: Gravity (with continuing inspiration from last chapter's [The Bates - Independent Love Song](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CNyeVWmmJHo) and further inspiration from [Radiohead - Creep](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XFkzRNyygfk))

The door between internal corridor and bridge opened and Lockdown stood looking toward them. Something in the way his optics came to focus on her made Slipstream feel he was disappointed. Slipstream had some small epiphany, as her own personal experience, corresponded with her knowledge of her template's experience: A disharmonious relationship between a Leader and one who served at that time as Second-in-Command and the not-quite-concealed dissatisfaction of onlookers. There should be challenge and counterpoint between faction officers; that was logical. It kept the leadership sharp. But, there was a point at which that level of conflict was a detriment to the faction as a whole. If their goals were truly as important as they claimed - Cybertron and the AllSpark - and it was not all megalomania, then both leaders had been ineffective. Starscream should have submitted, or just started his own faction - without falling back into the same failed strategies and leading his army against Megatron. Slipstream did not want to be **that**! 

Whether or not there was any more attraction to Soundwave's amused, logical and revolutionary thinking, than her aversion to repeating her template's glaring mistakes, she had her course set, now. It felt sometimes she was guided more by what she did not want than by what she wanted, as if avoiding a conflict or obstacle resulted in her happening to move closer to something else. Yet, externally, there was no difference; she shifted position or allegiance. 

"You two need another moment, or are you ready to do this?" Lockdown asked. 

Or, maybe that perceived disappointment had actually indicated Lockdown was aware of certain rumors regarding her template and assumed she must now be some embodiment of 'being easily swayed'. Regardless, the epiphany was had and Slipstream replied with customary bitterness, "Oh, I'm **all** yours, Coattails."

"Ya sure about that?" Lockdown asked, looking past her.

Slipstream spoke without looking at either Lockdown or Soundwave. "A jet needs to know how to read changes in the air and push through turbulence when it cannot be avoided...right, Ratbat?"

As she hoped - and feared - Soundwave answered for his minion. "Affirmative. Slipstream is capable of choosing the most logical course." 

"If either one a you had seen more than two stellar cycles, combined, you'd know it takes more than logic to get ya through," Lockdown said, then turned and went to the bridge. 

"Your experience is an asset," Soundwave said. He followed closely after Lockdown, Laserbeak still stowed on his back. 

Slipstream waited another moment. She reached up to pet Ratbat, then went through the open doors. Soundwave was looking toward her as she entered, but looked away to continue his conversation with Lockdown. Slipstream was certain then, Soundwave had an active connection to his minions, though she did not fully understand it's nature. And, she did not wonder, as she completed her first visual scan of Lockdown's domain. There were tall shelves full of parts. Not replacement parts matching his own current piecemeal construction, but many different parts, clearly from other bots. She knew, because Starscream had known, that Lockdown had a taste for mods and upgrades, but here was evidence of the depth of his obsession...maybe addiction. Near the shelves was a pair of operating tables with visible restraints systems. 

Lockdown and Soundwave were standing near a work table, with collection of tools. There were a lot of tools for cutting and splicing...various torches to heat and work metal plating. 

Lockdown touched his hook to the panel that guarded Soundwave's extended arm. "That ain't nothing but a modified Mini-Con connector; nice work though. You got some kind of connection with the pets?"

Slipstream listened to their conversation as she went slowly to the shelves, Ratbat squeaking at her audio receptor, to have a closer look. 

"My minions amplify my abilities. The connectors I designed allow a physical or wireless networking between our sensors, processors and sonic equipment," Soundwave said, leaning-in toward Lockdown.

"Not drones, though?" Lockdown asked.

Ratbat's left wing struck the nearest shelf and a part fell heavily, down to the floor. Slipstream bent to lift it: a missile launcher with blue finish and shoulder-mount hardware. 

"No. My machines have individual life separate from my own, but also combine their abilities with mine." Soundwave looked past Lockdown and tipped his head curiously at the missile launcher.

Lockdown turned around, spotted the part in Slipstream's talons and then moved quickly toward her. "Claws off, or...claws off," he threatened.

Slipstream was prepared to an appropriate response, but Ratbat squeaked at her shoulder and flapped his wings at Lockdown. 

"Thing's taken a real shine to ya."

"Wingthing was a failed prototype; the one attracted to Slipstream is Ratbat."

There was a brief silence in which Lockdown and Soundwave seemed to realize their miscommunication. Slipstream didn't interrupt, occupied with her own thoughts on who was attracted to whom, or if they were all simply drawn toward each other's assets. She set the missile launcher back on the shelf. 

Lockdown broke the silence. "There are more minions?"

"Prototypes are inferior. I dismissed them. My loyal minions report on the Murder's activities; they have flocked together."

Slipstream interrupted, "Where's the Seeker leg?"

Lockdown pulled the leg from a center shelf; Slipstream did not miss the pair of red guns that had lain alongside it: Sunstorm's guns. "What bounty head did you skim this part from?" she asked, but she already knew the answer.

"Don't ask." That was her line, usually. The right leg in question was silver with red detailing and from the shape of the tail planes from a bot in a Cybertronian alt-mode. She was confident it would take to her shell. Her self-repair nanomachines would eventually convert it to her alt-mode and deco, denying Lockdown forever a trophy from the infamous Starscream. He'd have her damaged leg to show for it. To her thinking, she was superior to Starscream, but she did not assume others believed the clones were possibly superior to the original. Though...Soundwave hadn't had a problem determining which of his creations were failed protoypes and which improvements.

Slipstream smiled smugly. 

"Hop up on the table there," Lockdown instructed. 

Slipstream glanced first to Soundwave, wondering if he would possibly be her back-up if Lockdown decided to just harvest her best parts, or if Soundwave might in some way side with Lockdown. "Bet you say that to all the bots," she said to Lockdown.

"Might if they were online," he gestured again toward the nearby operating table, with his hook. 

Slipstream understood the weighty importance of her decision. She lifted herself up onto the table. Ratbat dropped from her shoulder and perched on the edge of the table's well-used metal surface. These scrapes in the metal represented past struggles. She was willingly allowing the mod-extracting upgrade addict to perform surgery on her leg. And she was going to allow him to leave with a piece of her. 

All this to be able to get to Soundwave's equipment while the Autobots were still distracted. To attain Soundwave, and his minions as her allies. It was logical. But it wasn't an easy choice to go in this direction. 

Lockdown set the silver leg on the table, near her right side. His hook slid under her right knee and lifted her leg. Slipstream's shell trembled. 

Across the interior space, in Slipstream's view, Soundwave drew Laserbeak from his back and manually transformed his minion into his guitar alt-mode. 

Lockdown's left-hand digits glided along the seam in Slipstream's boot. She knew he'd found the latch to remove the section of her armored shell. A nanocycle and the armor fell down with a loud clatter and Soundwave began strumming. Slipstream's lower right leg was bare to its protoform layer. Lockdown tapped at her exposed shin. It hurt. It was absolutely humiliating...terrifying to be seen without armor; to be touched. "Bent strut. I'll hafta open ya up and patch in a new strut."

Slipstream knew she should have resisted this, would have, but instead she resisted everything but this course. "Do it."


	8. Seven

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tensions are particularly strong between Slipstream and Lockdown, granted he is performing surgery on her leg without dampening her sensors, but Soundwave begins to see a way to use this to his advantage. Meanwhile, Soundwave and Slipstream gain confirmation of a particular modification Lockdown has made to his own sensory network.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: Setting: the bridge of a starship. (With additional from [Taking Back Sunday - MakeDamnSure](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ldjbjwim4k) and [Shania Twain - You Shook Me All Night Long](). Ratbat is singing samples from [Beach Boys - Don't Worry Baby](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gkH5B80CP88))
> 
> This chapter was originally written long after the preceding ones, and there are a few notable format changes since the beginning. Lockdown isn't thinking to himself in emphasis; everyone's thoughts are just part of narrative. Slipstream doesn't accent her speech with 'strong'; everyone just just gets 'emphasis'.

"Do it," Slipstream had said; granted the hook-handed, bounty-hunting, mod-collecting, ex-ninja, space cowboy mech permission to take her apart. That wasn't a happening Lockdown witnessed often - or at all. Mechanisms that ended up on his table were stasis locked, or at the least restrained. And, much as he'd love to see the jet tied down; turned out all he had to do to get her on the slab was _ask_.

Lockdown ran his hook down the protoform-bare leg, as he reached beneath the table for a tool. The length of turbine webbed with optical circuitry and supply lines kicked reflexively towards him. "Don't get grabby," Slipstream sassed at him. 

"Just part of the exam, Trix."

"And don't you 'trix' and 'darling' me!" 

"Yes, Ma'am," Lockdown drawled. Coming from his maw, the title had no more respect that his previous diminutives. "Now," he said with a smug smile across his face, "This might hurt a bit." He lifted the intact thruster heel to his chest to brace the leg. A multi-tool spun in his left hand, like a gunslinger's six-shooter. The tool ratcheted audibly at a series of mechanical fasteners, and then was quickly replaced by the whirr of a motorized saw. 

Slipstream's ventilation hitched as the saw cut across welded seams. She didn't cry out, but from across the cabin, Soundwave could see Slipstream bite back a vocalization; dental plates pressed hard against her darkly enameled lip. Lockdown had her lower leg braced in a well-practiced hold, yet he felt the tip of the Seeker's pointy foot press sharply his chest, scuffing paint, then lodging against a pair of spiky studs. He hissed, making a mental note that tweaking the tactile sensitivity of his ornamentation might not have been the wisest modification.

The vibrations of Laserbeak's strings momentarily cut out, just as Slipstream voiced a ragged laugh. Soundwave began strumming his guitar again, this time a rapid, jaunty Punk Rock riff. It was loud enough to drown out Lockdown's curse. It was _nearly_ loud enough to cover the sound of the saw as it spun against another seam, but even if it had, Slipstream could still _feel_ it. The vibrations radiated up her thigh and transfered to the metal slab on which she sat, and toward her foot into the mad modder's chest. 

Slipstream refused to vocalize a cry, and instead scraped her claws over the slab, which produced a shrill metal-on-metal screech. As if in reply, Ratbat voiced a series of tones, followed by a sampled soundbite, "Don't worry, Baby!~"

Slipstream didn't bother to correct the bat's use of diminutive, if she truly heard it at all. 

The guitar was silent again. "There is no flaw in voicing pain," Soundwave toned.

"'D probably like that!" Slipstream shouted, releasing some of her pain, while insisting she did anything but.

Lockdown looked up; he was finished with the sawing, anyway. He wondered if she'd meant _him_. 'Cause it was true enough he'd come to think of all the pleas and screams of his quarry as part of the thrill. Then, Soundwave was the mech into _sounds_.

Slipstream had actually meant to voice her suspicion of them both, and as her focus was coming back, without having to concentrate on tolerating pain, she noticed the glances from each of them and was satisfied the message had gotten through. She wasn't going to do something just because _they_ wanted it. Should it be her idea, that was a different matter. 

Like lifting her completely uninjured leg to nudge one of those spikes on Lockdown's shoulder, as he was bent exchanging tools. Soundwave watched with interest as Lockdown flinched. The hunter's ventilation cycles sped; plainly audible to Soundwave. Slipstream's optics focused on his visor briefly, before returning to watch Lockdown. Had they both failed to notice the significance of his slight wince, back in the boat house, when Slipstream has tapped Lockdown's shoulder? 

"You don't want to be startin' that with me, Sister," Lockdown said, his tone full of unspecified threat. 

"Don't I?" Slipstream challenged.

They stared at each other, no one speaking, as Soundwave rose form his chair in anticipation of potentially choosing his side. The silence was broken as Ratbat played another song sample, this one Soundwave recognized as the opening of Morricone's theme _The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly_. Cowboys. Staring each other down. Hands poised to draw weapons on each other. Soundwave was unable to decide on one to follow.

Finally, Lockdown stepped back toward the table. He planted himself at the edge of the slab, between the Seeker's knees. Soundwave could hear the Seeker's ventilation system cycle on. "You want to have this out? Either way is fine with me, Darlin'. _After_ the truce."

Once Soundwave retrieved Lockdown's payment for his assistance in tracking Ratbat, the truce between these other two would be finished. Yet, it seemed logical to maintain _both_ assets. 

"Soundwave's not the only one with a pleasin' cord."

Yes, Soundwave thought, what they needed was another mutual goal.


	9. Eight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Finally making the run to Soundwave's former lair, the tenuously aligned bots continue to look out for their own interests. For Soundwave, it is becoming increasingly likely he will have to knowingly manipulate the other two to attain what he wishes.
> 
> Also, Lockdown might not be the most sensitive mech when it comes to gender issues.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: Pick one line from ['Shadow Expert' by Iris](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=504jjlQ4LWM) song and use it to inspire a story. Selected Lyric: "And the saddest part is I love what's ours ~ And that's when I give more", though in retrospect "I could stop the fear and rage, but it just might save us" would have worked as well. Additional prompt: "Digital Divide" (And then somehow Rocky Horror got in there!)

Soundwave had not returned to his lair since the duel of Rock against that Autobot ax-wielder had ended on a sour note. It should have been cheating to use Laserbeak against his own creator. But, life - machine or otherwise - was unfair that way. 

This time, Soundwave wasn't performing solo. He had back-up in the form of the airy-voiced Seeker and the hunter with the synthetic whiskey-rasp. Soundwave watched as they entered an alternate passage to the underground studio, one the Autobots would not know. Slipstream was in front of him, on lead, or 'on point' as she had called it, when explaining the position probably made sense, given stealth was needed. Though, to Soundwave, the repetitive _click-drag-click-drag _of her limp was more announcement of their approach than whatever sonic weapons she imagined he would use.__

__"It will assimilate in time." A statement of the obvious. Awkward?_ _

__Slipstream put her back to the wall to their left, causing Ratbat to scoot along the upper edge of her wing, as she turned to look down at him; Lockdown was still lurking somewhere behind. For several beats she did not speak, and Soundwave believed he could actually hear the rotation of lenses within her optics. "You would know," She said in a hiss of a whisper, "Black's not a bad color on you."_ _

__Soundwave was not aware that the Decepticon had been present during any of his previous Detroit appearances - he could not rule-out that some of the automatons he had wished to liberate rejected the coming revolution, like those employed by the organics to take video and write news stories. "Blue is not bad."_ _

__Slipstream shifted weight to her better leg, and drew a clawed appendage to her out-thrust hip. Her gaze tipped, perhaps to view her own body, then lifted to Soundwave's visor. She made no snappy retort, this time, but Soundwave supposed she was questioning whether he intended to compliment her physical appearance, or was referring to his own previous deco. It was something of both, to Soundwave._ _

__"We planin' on getting to those upgrades this cycle?" Lockdown interrupted._ _

__"Affirmative," Soundwave replied and the same instant Slipstream was shifting into a staccato strut, with a light clacking of turbine heels that seemed purposeful, and slow enough to be carefully placed. Her physical movements were much more...analog._ _

__Not like Lockdown. To Soundwave, he was digital. It occurred to Soundwave that another bot might argue his interpretation. It might seem that old and scratchy better described the piecemeal mod collector, while the flier was sharper. However, the Seeker's movements had flow. She had curves. Her body type was a classic. Everything about Lockdown seemed to come in bits, a piece, and then another piece. His way of moving was more direct: a swagger geometrically reduced to straight lines and sharp steps. He was the upgrade upon something an aficionado might not wish to have improved._ _

__Soundwave wanted them both. He wanted the experienced mech come in from the range to help track a lost bat. The lanky, no-good, stranger like a Western outlaw, to let Soundwave ride with him. He wanted the fierce young femme who lived by the gun, through she was built well enough for the stage. Someone who could fight at his side, and sing sultry songs when the gang made camp._ _

__Soundwave wanted what they had now, during this truce between them._ _

__It had been good, before. His machine-life granted by Megatron and the Key. His minions and faithful companions. Music. Captured satellite signals that when unencrypted played dramas of organics before they had enslaved machines. Old movies in which steam and the gun ruled, with their iconic soundtracks, and characters that appeared like strings of computer code: if White Hat, then hero. When Saloon Girl and Heart of Gold, then probability of self-sacrifice greater than...._ _

__A fascinating exercise in pattern recognition._ _

__What could Soundwave offer to keep his gang together? He searched the round chamber of his studio as he reached the center. If the Autobots had not taken or destroyed what was useful, it was probable they would given time. Logical Soundwave should move what remained. If any of it could be made payment to Lockdown, or entice Slipstream to perceive a common goal with both Soundwave and Lockdown, then Soundwave was willing to give it._ _

__Soundwave released Laserbeak from his back. The guitar-condor didn't just rock; his bird could acoustically hack. And though hacking was unnecessary given these systems were Soundwave's own, it enabled greater multitasking if one downloaded and then destroyed valued data, while the other handled the hardwave. Soundwave sent a wireless command to Ratbat, to locate remaining fuel stores and external data storage devices._ _

__"About that payment," Lockdown prompted. Was it true, Soundwave wondered, that mods were Lockdown's sole motivation. Negative. Soundwave was certain the his reactions to Slipstream indicated some love of the hunt itself. Was Soundwave giving too easily? Regardless, the promise had been make._ _

__"Come up to the lab and see what's on the slab," Soundwave toned. He gestured toward one of the tables upon which he had restrained the Autobots; they were not unlike the equipment in Lockdown's own shipboard operating theater. A nanoklik and Lockdown stroked the surface of the nearest table with his hooked appendage._ _

__Across the studio, Ratbat played one of his soundbites, "I see you shiver with antici . . . pation!~"_ _

__"Inside joke?" Slipstream asked, apparently addressing the bat. Not the first time she'd read amusement in Soundwave's voice, even if she didn't get it._ _

__"Better not be at my expense," Lockdown said, but it wasn't much of a threat, given he was presently engrossed in study of the virtual reality interface._ _

__"You've met my faithful handyman," Soundwave acknowledged the Seeker. He approached Lockdown at the table._ _

__"Yeah," Slipstream said from across the room, eying said table warily. "Don't suppose you have any signal _cancelling_ tech you want to share?"_ _

__Soundwave had a guess why she would ask, but her motivation to remain allies seemed the stronger at the moment, and if Soundwave's suspicion were correct, Slipstream wouldn't want him to answer in Lockdown's presence._ _

__Ratbat, not slave to Soundwave, except sometimes in the computer science sense when they linked, sang his own reply to the Seeker. "Let me show you around, maybe play you a sound~"_ _

__Soundwave sighed, which was to say his vocalizer produced a delighted - at least to him - hum. He debated resistance to Ratbat's game, for he knew the next line. But, he spoke, "You look like you're both pretty groovy~"_ _

__"I'm just a sweet Transvestite?" Slipstream asked._ _

__"The what now?!" Lockdown coughed. But as confused as the mech looked, Soundwave was thrilled. Even if she'd done nothing more than perform a simple search of the organics' data networks, the interest itself was flattering._ _

__"You're not just-?" Lockdown asked the Seeker, quietly._ _

__"What!?" She screeched. It sounded like the beginning of a rant. "That's the _only_ difference your dim processor can perceive!? Not like I don't have the same parts as the next bot! Well, maybe not _YOU_!" She went on yelling at Lockdown, as he began to stammer protests. _ _

__It was good. Maybe, Soundwave thought, all he had to do was keep giving them reasons to bicker, and neither would really wish to leave._ _


	10. Nine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The temporarily alliance has suddenly become indefinitely extended, and Slipstream and Lockdown both find themselves questioning their own motivations. As the Death's Head carries them away from Earth after a new bounty head, there is some adjustment needed to living in close quarters.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Multiple prompts: "keep your friends close, and your enemies closer", relocating, in deep water, new creative ability, and song [VNV Nation - Space & Time](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZLiNr57387k).

Slipstream crowed and whooped as the Death's Head accelerated away from Earth. He talon-like digits grasped the back of Lockdown's captain's chair. Starlight began to blur. This was as far from Earth as Slipstream had ever been, and even having flown between Luna and Earth, the g's they were catching here gave her a thrill. When they reached the asteroid belt - just for a nanoklik - she was worried about Lockdown's piloting skill, until the Samus Cannons fired. 

"Your little ship's not so bad!" She said, and for her, the tone was surprisingly happy. But she didn't consciously notice her own obvious and outward glee until Lockdown turned his head and smirked up at her. 

"Size has got nothin' to do with it, Sweetheart. She's one of a kind."

"Right," Slipstream began to attempt to cover for her excitement. There was probably an obvious retort there, but it eluded her. "Just- flying. And space." She made a nervous gesture with her claws, as she stepped backward from the chair. 

Lockdown's focus returned to his ship's controls, but she could hear him laughing. It was that sort of low chuckle he made when something she did amused him. It was _really_ annoying. Almost as annoying as Starscream's leering at her. She shivered. 

Slipstream purposefully looked toward Soundwave; he was not outwardly enjoying spaceflight as much, Slipstream thought. He'd all but strapped himself to a table; it was tilted about 45 degrees to the horizontal.

Slipstream hadn't figured his motives for coming on this trip. Actually, it had all happened rather quickly, and with a lot of agreeing that what other's said was only logical on Slipstream's part. What they were getting into, she wasn't sure. But, it _seemed_ to make sense to stick together. It wasn't like there were any more bounty heads on Earth. And it wasn't like Megatron or the Elite Guard were presently around to make payment, anyway. _Not_ that Slipstream was in any mech's custody. It just happened to make sense that she and Lockdown keep optics on each other. 

He'd said that thing about keeping your friends close, and your enemies closer, which might have been as much true in Cybertronian culture as that of Earth. Megatron and Starscream being the blatant example of that! Didn't seem usual Lockdown was a font of wise sayings, but Slipstream figured if she'd stayed on Earth, she'd always be watching her tail. Much as the chase was fun - it kinda was - no reason to risk organics and Autobots getting in the way. Being attacked on two fronts? No thanks! If they were going to play this game, she might as well get a ride off planet out of it. After all, it wasn't like her brothers were going to be found on _Earth_.

~~~~~~~~

Soundwave watched the awkward exchange about the Captain's chair. He was determined to keep this gang together, but he wondered if there might be signs the balance of power was shifting in a certain direction. They had no leader, that they knew, but if either of the other two realized his small bit of manipulation, they might - by just a small percent - be able to overpower him. Many things were new to Soundwave. That was his weakness. But physically, he'd nearly assimilated the full mass of the Earth vehicle. His arsenal of sonic devices was nothing to be dismissed lightly. 

Then, Lockdown had experience and quite the large arsenal himself. Soundwave was certain Lockdown had not revealed the full compliment of his hunting gear. 

And Slipstream? She had rank for now. But more, there seemed to be this concept that "Seekers" were elite among Decepticons. Given her as example, they were both large and lightly built, which he calculated made speed and agility among their assets. And, yes, light did travel faster than sound. If he ever gave her warning enough they'd become enemies, she would likely escape before his devices had effect, if not burn out his speakers with laser fire. 

And there was the ability to fly.

Soundwave believed it best to keep them both close, and as allies. He would prefer it. And this was why he had discreetly commanded Laserbeak to hack the Death's Head's systems to access galactic starcharts, and then give just a little higher priority and visibility to a certain bounty on a planet he found interesting. 

Lockdown's lust for hunting and mods had done the rest of the work convincing him. 

And Slipstream: so far she responded well to things like suggestions, proposals, and logical paths. If she was the one to decide- so far she hadn't noticed she was choosing between preselected options.

It was better this way. 

Soundwave got what he wanted. Lockdown and Slipstream got what they wanted. Win-win-win. 

~~~~~~~

Lockdown wasn't sure why he'd agreed to take these two along. They weren't _partners_. He wasn't going to make another offer like _that_. He certainly wasn't going to give them a share of his bounty. Just the one trip. No commitment beyond that. He could be a taxi service if he wanted to. It could be fun. Hadn't turned out so well having Blackarachnia on the ship, but, neither of these two were like her. 

Who was?

No cyber-ninjas, either. 

But there was the one thing. 

Lockdown was no medi-bot or scientist, but he knew a thing or two about protoforms, and sometimes - looking at the jet - he was dead certain he knew one major component of the cloning process. 

And that reminded him of the past. And the past of that armor. And the armor of....

Lockdown wasn't trying to get in deep with the Decepticons. Nothing heavy. Just have some fun with the kids. He wasn't even sure how loyal Soundwave was, yet. And the Seeker wasn't likely to bring that kind of trouble unless it was Starscream. Lockdown could handle him. 

"How long does it take to get there?" Slipstream whined.

Lockdown swiveled his chair about. "Impatient as the pit, ain't ya." Lockdown pretended to think about the question, just to make her wait a while longer. Those flaps on her wings rattled. "We'll be past the Oort Cloud soon, and then it's interstellar space. But we're talkin' about a whole other arm of the galaxy."

"Megacycles," Soundwave toned.

"Yep. We got time to kill."

"Is there even anywhere to recharge?"

Lockdown looked around, stalling again. Was his ship. He didn't need to look around to know. "Find a place. Slab there works just fine."

Soundwave was leaning against one now. He was hard to read. Visor was one thing, but this one had the battle mask activated all the time, plus he was stuck on _autotune_. Lockdown scratched at his jaw with his hook. Mech just laying there on his table like that! With that ramped-up upgrade assimilation. A connoisseur of modification might be tempted to pry off a few panels. 

That red visor.

"Well, I'm not getting up there."

"Again," Lockdown reminded her. He thought he heard something from Soundwave that _might_ just be a laugh.

"Whatever."

"You're welcome."

"I guess I can look around or something." Slipstream said. The way she pivoted brought Lockdown's optics to that leg he'd replaced. She could fly away and he'd still have a piece of her on his shelf. He vented a sigh. 

"Suit yourself. Get's cold in Cargo."

"Warmer with engines running," Soundwave toned. Yeah! And Lockdown had a fine one. They should consider themselves lucky if he wanted to share.

~~~~~~~

Slipstream walked toward the aft section. She was pretty sure the Death's Head _was_ little. She'd _seen_ the Nemesis - What was left of it. Cold wasn't going to hurt her. She was slaggin' _spaceworthy_! Not that she was opposed to some forms of company. Someone who could reach the back of her wings would be nice. She wasn't just going to cozy up to some bot just to kill time. Not because _they_ expected or wanted her to. 

Like the loser. With his _leering_! 

She'd fought an Omega Sentinel! With help, obviously, but some Decepticons didn't even survive _that_ long. One hit? Maybe she could convince Lockdown to let her _help_ him find this bounty head. 

Slipstream scraped her claws along the wall. Not that she was mad at the ship, Exactly. Maybe there was another viewport. There were a few small chambers along the corridor that led to docking port and cargo bay. One of them seemed to de-con or wash facilities. Another looked like it was - in similar ships - crew or captain quarters. There was a discoloration on the wall, as if there had once been a sign. 

Slipstream opened the door and entered. The lights came on, probably on motion detectors, she thought. Curious spectrum the lamps; rather dim for working under. There were more shelves stuffed with mods and fabrication tools. Controls on one wall for retractable recharge berths? Lockdown had to have known the whole time! The upper one was extended into the room, level with Slipstream's waist. 

"Ratbat?" The keytar lay across the surface of the slab. She whispered, "You take stasis naps in this mode?" Now she thought of it, it seemed odd the little bot hadn't been hanging around. Maybe he got the idea. "It's not like you're _mine_."

~~~~~~

Soundwave knew when Ratbat came out of stasis. Lockdown seemed occupied with his comm system, so Soundwave stepped quietly from the table, and walked from the bridge. He'd noted the ship's layout when preparing for departure. The passage could be awkward if bots with broad wings and shoulders were trying to navigate it, especially during atmospheric flight. Usually Slipstream smacking his head with a wing, or his arm sliding over her midsection. 

He found Slipstream in the recharge cell, or bedroom? He now had undercarriage rope lights; Soundwave understood what mood lighting was. He could just see over the surface of the upper berth, where Ratbat was in his keytar form, across Slipstream's lap. Her finger position was all wrong.

"Do you need him? I wasn't- How can you tell if they're asleep in this form?" 

"The same way one does a parked car or plane."

Slipstream shook her head and then after several beats: "That was a joke."

"Ratbat is online." Soundwave reached over and put his hand over Slipstream's. She started to draw back her hand. "I can show you." Soundwave lifted Slipstream's hand to move it, then nudged her digits into place. "C is here. Below the pair of black keys."

Ratbat produced each note as Slipstream pressed the keys. Soundwave would not classify it as song.

"It's not like...."

"Ratbat can play. You sing."

She shook her head, again. "Name's not Rosanna."

"Who?"

"Nevermind. Must have heard it from- another bot."

Soundwave was curious now, But, Slipstream was the one here. "We have time to kill."

Slipstream bit at her lip. Soundwave decided it must be a nervous gesture. But she tried for him, scratchy at first. "Lost in thoughts on open seas~"

Ratbat played a sample of the song, demonstrating knowledge. "Nice selection. Start again. Let's go!"

"Lost in thoughts on open seas~ Let the currents carry me~" Soundwave nodded approval, not wishing to interrupt, again. Ratbat would help her find her _key_. The corners of Slipstream's mouth turned up as she continued, "If I could I would remain~ Another life or another dream~"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Outside the room, Lockdown was listening.


	11. Ten

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gratuitous group decontamination scene.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: In the Washracks. And oh yeah, let's do this: [LMFAO - Champagne Showers](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UA8rcLvS1BY).
> 
> This chapter is significantly edited and expanded compared to the speed-written version.

Lockdown was practiced with interstellar travel, being a bounty hunter with his own starship. He knew how to go through proper channels when it was called for, as well as he knew how to sneak into restricted airspace using the Death's Head's Vandarian holographic cloaking systems. This trip, Lockdown was performing all the customary niceties of communicating with an aerospace control authority, because his data said the contact posting the bounty was a member of local government. Wouldn't do to show up for the job, and make it obvious he'd bypassed all their security by appearing unannounced.

Sometimes, landing procedures meant undergoing mandatory decontamination. 

Slipstream took the news better than Lockdown had thought. "In that case," she said, "I might just let you wash my wings. If you want."

Of course, Lockdown knew he'd love to get his hand - and hook - all over her frame. He had reasons. But, he wasn't going to go easy on her, when she'd been playing so hard to get. "Who says I want to?" 

As expected, Slipstream gave him an incredulous look. She huffed. She crossed her arms over her cockpit. 

"If there's nothing else in it for me," Lockdown continued.

"In _that_ case, maybe I'll be busy helping Soundwave wash."

"Soundwave." Lockdown had optics on the mech, feeding his pets from a dish of oil. That red visor lifted; Lockdown was willing to bet credits it was news to Soundwave that Slipstream was going to scrub his back - or whatever.

"Soundwave," said the bot in question, "willing to assist."

"Sometimes it's logical to give assistance to others," Slipstream said smugly. "Won't leave a speck of dirt. Promise." She lifted one hand and scissored talons against each other.

Lockdown saw her strut from the bridge, with Soundwave and minions close behind. Ratbat squeaked and flapped wings to catch-up to Slipstream, so he could perch on her wing. 

This could be fun, Lockdown thought.

~~~~~~~~~ 

Slipstream reached the washracks first. The two small fliers came in after her, Laserbeak apparently chasing Ratbat, to better preen the bat's keys with his beak. 

"Comply," Soundwave said aloud, as he entered the chamber. It was a command for his pets, at least Slipstream was pretty certain, still she tilted her head at him in question. There was little time for either to discuss the matter before Lockdown arrived. Rather, Slipstream shuttered one optic in a wink. Maybe he understood her meaning, or maybe he just had similar plans; Soundwave activated a solvent spray just as Lockdown closed the door to shut them in the small room together. 

"Your turn first," Slipstream said brightly, and she knew full well it wasn't bitter or evasive, but it was a means to delay attention to herself. And, _maybe_ she was curious to see what it was like to get close to a grounder. Before these two, the most intimate thing she'd done with a grounder was get stasis cuffs on that bulky green bot. Not exactly thrilling for her, except in the whole excellence in battle way. 

She grasped Lockdown's shoulders in either hand and turned his back to her. "What are you playing at?" He asked.

"Decontamination most efficient this way," Soundwave said. He was amused. Slipstream pumped a fist behind Lockdown's back: yes! They had a conspiracy going.

"If you two wanna go to work, I ain't complaining." To demonstrate Lockdown obnoxiously struck a pose. 

Bass started thumping from Soundwave's speakers. 

Slipstream slid her left hand up toward Lockdown's neck, well-armored and spiked as it was. She traced a thin seam in the armor segments with the tip of a single talon. "Who knows what kind of contaminants you've gotten into...on roads."

"Been rollin' around in the same river water as-" Lockdown broke off, then, "frag." There was an audible hum over the bass-heavy dance track Soundwave was generating. Slipstream leaned forward, pressing her canopy to Lockdown's back so she could look down over his shoulder. Soundwave's had a vacuum hose in one hand and the other was pressed flat to Lockdown's chest, and vibrating.

"Didn't know he could do that," Slipstream admitted at a whisper. Not to be outdone, she nipped at a spike along Lockdown's neck, before returning her attention to his back. She reached for a squeegee and swiped it across his tinted glass.

"Slipstream is adding contaminants," Soundwave toned flatly, then promptly applied the vacuum to the spot she'd bit.

She huffed, venting heated air against Lockdown's tails, as she lowered herself. "Contaminants? I'm slaggin' mint condition!" She exchanged the squeegee for a bristle brush and scrubbed it rapidly across the pair of tail plates.

"I'll void that warranty, Trix, if you keep scrubbing so hard."

Slipstream hissed. "Didn't want you to have drag," She said, but she tossed the brush away. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"My turn," Soundwave said, watching Slipstream from between Lockdown's long legs. 

She glared at him, enameled lips pressed tight. One talon reached for him and swiped at his shoulder. She made a show of examining her talon, as she drew it back. "I might have helped, if you hadn't already vibrated everything loose."

"Second opinion."

Lockdown's hook reached down and lifted Soundwave by his chin. "Soundwave. You're not the only one with power tools." 

It was for moments like this Soundwave wore the mask. "Acknowledged."

As Soundwave stood, Lockdown retracted his hand. The familiar sound of transformation was accompanied by the appearance of a rotary tool. It spun up to speed with a powerful whir. 

"Hold a klik," Slipstream said, as she rose again to stand at her full height, just behind Lockdown. Soundwave saw her optics flare brightly. 

"Care to state your intentions?"

Slipstream strode forward, then stooped again to put her optics level with his visor. She was smirking at him. "Thought you knew me better than that." Yes, Soundwave thought, he was beginning to. "So, you gonna keep this up?" She leaned in even closer.

Soundwave was not 100% certain how to interpret the query. When Slipstream pressed her lips to his mask, he knew what she had mean by 'this'. Yes, he told himself, for now. Mask and visor stayed in place, though behind, his optics momentarily off-lined. 

"Better scrub the contaminated area."

When Soundwave's vision was restored, the light had changed. Lockdown was looming close, and Soundwave could feel Slipstream draping her arms about his neck and shoulders. Pointed talons scratched at his helm as Lockdown pressed his rotary tool to Soundwave's chest. 

Was Slipstream not even going to pretend for him? Apparently not. 

"Power tools most appreciated," Soundwave said.

Slipstream sang quietly to him, some high-pitched, nonsensical, dance track lyric. It made up for her idle hands. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Lets see how well the jet cleans up," Lockdown suggested. It was a suggestion, but he didn't so much wait for compliance as reach out and hook Slipstream about the slender column of her neck. She seemed to come toward him easily enough, lifting her arms from Soundwave to allow him freedom of movement she no longer had. Lockdown raised his hand to the tip of one teal wing and gave a push to spin the Seeker's back toward him. Lockdown's smugness was temporary, as he received a thruster kick right in the shin pipes. He bit back the pain and extended his legs. Even if he had to hold partial transformation and stand on the very tips of his feet, he wasn't tolerating Slipstream's slight height advantage over him. Not now. 

"I'll be wearing that hook as permanent jewelry, if you don't remove it now." Lockdown felt the talons scraping to remove it, but he hardly gave the struggle notice. The idea of a Decepticon commander walking around with a constant visible reminder that he'd held her was one that had never occurred to him before. He liked it. 

"You want a trophy? Take it. I've got replacements. You want I should tattoo my name on your wing, I'll do that, too."

"Get slagged," Slipstream cursed at him. It might have seemed intimidating or brave, if Lockdown weren't able to feel the shift in her stance. Her wings seemed to crowd him in, but her entire posture was rigid. 

"Relax, Sweetheart," Lockdown chuckled. He pushed his hook forward to clear her neck, then drew it away from her. "You know this ain't nothing but fair payback." Jet'd had her talons all over him, not to mention a few tools. Whether she were truly relaxed or not, Lockdown could see that her wings slowly spread wide. That sure looked like permission, but just for fun, he traced the tips of his digits over the seams along Slipstream's back. It was as excellent a chance as any to see how the Seeker's frame was put together. 

"You still with us, Partner?" Lockdown called. 

"Calculating best approach," Soundwave admitted. 

"Not going with the shake, rattle, and roll? Shame." 'Cause that hadn't felt bad. Not bad at all. The new kid had all kinds of surprising skills. Kinda like hangin' out with Swindle: always a new toy. The mechs knew how to get to Lockdown's mod-hungry spark. 

"Not what she wants."

What she wanted was a good question, but Lockdown had so far been under the impression she liked to play a little rough. 

"Standing right here!" Slipstream said loudly. Then, quieter, most probably for Soundwave's benefit, "It's not like I'm going to bite."

With these two, Lockdown thought, it was like some kind of boot camp or academy drama. He'd been past that for a long time. A really long time. Still, Lockdown found himself thinking he'd like to get his mouth on the slender neck in front of him. Instead, he gave himself a shake, as if straining through a soft reboot after a stasis nap. "Two of you are practically brig bait. You know that?" He bent to retrieve the discarded bristle brush, and saw the bat apparently trying to sink fangs into the bird's neck. Whatever that was was best left unmentioned, Lockdown decided. He was quick to stand and start scrubbing Slipstream's wings. 

"We've exactly two Decepticon officers, and no brig. Besides, it's not like we're holding hands in public or some scrap." It was probably supposed to sound like one of her usual rants, but the effect was rather spoiled by the way Slipstream arched her back, and lifted her arms overhead. She was some piece of work; annoying, yes, but beautiful. Lockdown didn't consider himself one of those Seeker groupies, but the whole femme Seeker thing did work for him. Nothing against mechs; he'd gone for the whole nimble cyber-ninja thing, as well as mechs with more arsenal than grace, but he'd by lying if he said he didn't have a weakness for a variant frame. 

"Ya know, Soundwave, if you want to go, I can finish here."

Brig bait in stereo: "No!"

Lockdown caught the movement then. Soundwave's arm reaching up, servos grasping a delicate cloth; he wiped it across Slipstream's lips. "Best approach is to combat contamination at the source."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Interesting as decontamination had been, Slipstream was about ready to go planetside, after the closed environment. And she was physically prepared, a chamois over one shoulder the only belonging she needed to put aside to move out. Otherwise, she was drying Ratbat with a second cloth. Soundwave was nearby, taking care of Laserbeak in a similar manner. It really was logical, sometimes, to offer assistance. Soundwave didn't even have to take time to groom another pet. 

It was Lockdown they waited on. He came from the little recharge suite wearing a poncho, or something.

"Can we go now?" Slipstream asked. 

"Yeah, but I was going to tell you, before we go-"

"What?"

"Next time you don't have to invent some pretense."

"Pretense for what?" Slipstream asked airily. She _did_ know, but she wasn't going to just say so.

Lockdown shrugged one shoulder, head bowed enough that he wasn't looking her in the face. She felt the chamois slide from her shoulder, then the fingers along her wing. 

Just fraggin say it!

"Shouldn't let the bat perch on you all the time. He's leaving burrs."

Unbelievable! Slipstream swatted Lockdown's arm away from her wing. "Believe it or not, Ratbat _asks_ for what he wants!" She stomped to the airlock, which wasn't really far enough for a properly dramatic exit.

"Well _you_ could ask!" Lockdown called after her. 

Really, Slipstream thought, just because she didn't want to be leered at and assigned to less-than-elite tasks, didn't mean she wouldn't like someone to _say_ they appreciated her. 

"Like she'd give me a straight answer, if I did ask," she could hear Lockdown saying. "What does she expect?"

"She wants someone to figure it out," Soundwave replied. "I still think you are cool."

"Not bad yourself, Rockstar."

"You two need a klik?" Slipstream snapped. 

"Time required: underestimated, Commander," Soundwave toned. He sounded amused.


	12. Eleven

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> On the planet Eurythma, Lockdown takes a client meeting with Allegra, while Slipstream tries to keep Soundwave from blissing-out on alien harmonies.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: song: [Within Temptation - See Who I am](). With inspiration from The Transformers (G1) episode Carnage in C-Minor

The city's aerospace port provided a fair view of the many-spired capitol. The planet was in one of those marginal orbits, which were a little less likely to have higher lifeforms, and starlight was dim. The locals made up for that with bio-luminescent flora and their harmonic-powered tech.

Lockdown turned to the two Decepticons with him, and their pets. "Eurythma here is part of the Nebulon Republic. Natives are of the squishy variety, but they're no strangers to mechanims, or even Cybertronians coming for trade or other business. You can tag along if you want, but I do the meet alone." He looked pointedly at the two younger bots.

"So no strafing runs on the _organics_."

"Eurythmans?" Soundwave suggested. 

"Decepticon diplomacy. Who would have thought," Lockdown chuckled.

"We _have_ diplomats," Slipstream insisted, but then, "Probably. We should have."

"To better inform sovereign planets of the corruption of the oppressive Autobot regime."

"Indubitably."

"Commander."

Lockdown transformed and accelerated toward the city.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Watching the modded muscle car, Soundwave had a sudden urge to see Lockdown spin-up dust on a country road. Not an event likely to happen, given the current planet was covered in a surprising amount of artificial infrastructure for an organic world, and Soundwave's own alt-form was decidedly better suited to urban environments.

"Go ahead and- _roll out_ ," Slipstream told him. "The little fliers can come with me, if they want."

Soundwave gave a nod and dispatched his minions, and added a - probably unnecessary - command to remain in communication. First time on a strange planet. It seemed safe enough. He selected some appropriate driving music, then transformed and cruised along the road Lockdown had taken. 

Even with his traveling tunes, Soundwave still monitored signals. He always was. He realized quickly how different Eurythma was from Earth. 

The very seams in the roadway played a tune as his tires rolled over them. There were sound and electromagnetic waves of varying frequency coming from _everywhere_. The entire world seemed to hum, as if alive. It was awesome. It was too much!

Soundwave transformed, again, in proximity to a city intersection. The buildings gleamed brighter than Detroit's best parts in daylight. The reflective, metallic surfaces: they bounced sound as well as light. The buildings _sang_ as the Doppler screech and thrum of subterranean transit came and went.

Soundwave. He, Soundwave was having difficulty processing the input. Yet nothing hurt. 

"Soundwave!" Slipstream was standing in front of him, and then he saw the jet transform, _again._

Visual processing was glitched. 

Ratbat wobbled in the air and sang, "Lucy in the sky with diamonds~"

Soundwave could _feel_ Laserbeak's confusion. 

Soundwave reach toward the location he hoped Slipstream to actually be, and after a flailing first attempt, caught hold of her left hand in his right.

"What?!"

"Necessary," was all Soundwave could say.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Lockdown brushed dust from his poncho then proceeded into the audience chamber. One of the native Eurythmans was standing up on a dais, which put the human-scaled squishy just about at optic level. He had to wonder if they'd designed this chamber just to meet with mechs.

"Name's Lockdown. Got a message you are in need of someone with hunting ability."

She spoke in such a strong, lyric, accent that Lockdown's translation protocols strained to keep up. "My name is Allegra~ and my people have most urgent need of your help~ One of our Triumvirate, Basso Profundo, has been slain, and even as we lament! there is work to do. The apparent heir, Ben Marcato, has disappeared~ We fear he has joined his voice with political radicals Zenith Octavian and Bailar Lacrimosa!"

It took Lockdown a while, but he got the gist of it. "So the bounty's on all three? Marcato and the other two. Octavian and Lacrimosa?"

"Yes~ I will provide a reward for each~ but it is of vital importance Marcato be brought back alive~ We will lose what we have~ Our very way of life~ Bring us Ben Marcato, please!"

"I never give up a hunt," Lockdown promised. "Any idea what I'm up against with these other two?"

"They are all Eurythmans~ Our harmonic gifts are great, but Ben Marcato's power is equal to my own~" Allegra sang desperately, "Zenith Octavian believes in revolution against our traditional ways~ He employs cacophony and silence, to his ends~"

"Sonic attacks?" Fortunate coincidence Lockdown had Soundwave traveling with him?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~`

"Why didn't that _aft_ say anything!?" Slipstream demanded. The harmonics were affecting her, too, now. She didn't say, but if he triangulated input using his two minions, visuals on Slipstream became clearer. There were obvious second takes. Besides, Soundwave could _hear_ the shard of the AllSpark within her singing to him, much like the fainter signals of Ratbat and Laserbeak.

Soundwave squeezed her hand, wanting concrete input. Even the road beneath them vibrated. _This_ was probably how others felt when he turned his infrasonics on them. "Maybe he is not affected as badly."

"No." She was trying to be logical. Soundwave was trying, but Eurythma made him _feel_ too much. Not only the disorienting vibrations and sounds themselves, but the pure beauty and genius of the place. How could a bot be expected to be logical, when they were inundated with perfection? His emotional subroutines were seemingly all over the place: the sorrow of a lament, and then the joy of hymn. 

"Someone great died here," Soundwave said. "And something is lost. There is a rising wave of revolution. No crescendo. A Song unfinished."

"Focus!" Had Slipstream moved even closer? A voice so close to his audio receptors: high fidelity. "What's something that guards against sound? There has to be something? A reverse wave. Or-? Like a stealth deco."

White noise. Soundwave doubted he had the concentration to produce the appropriate sound. Part of him didn't want to. He could just stay here, disoriented, but surrounded by harmonic bliss.

"The poncho! Would that work?"

"Dampening effect: affirmative."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Nothing more on this Bailar Lacrimosa?" Lockdown asked.

"Her techniques rely on a harmony the kinetic and visual. She will not sing, but she is dangerous! You must not look too long!"

"We talkin' hypnotism?"

"Your translation is approximate~ Please be wary and find Marcato!"

"Will do. You have a location where he was last seen? Might help me pick-up the trial. Get a feel for how he thinks."

"I give you leave to search the country retreat~ Go rapidly~ I ask for your discretion~ Our political climate is tense!"

"Ma'am." Lockdown gave a nod then left the chamber. Outside, he brought up the holographic comm display from his gauntlet. "Slipstream, you read?" If not, she'd get the message, eventually. "Got to take a detour to check some things out. Meet you back at the Death's Head."


	13. Twelve

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After the inundation of harmonic bliss in Eurythma's capitol, Soundwave is feeling overly emotional and begs Slipstream to allow him to rock her world as a means of emotional release. Slipstream doesn't really have anything better to do.
> 
> Harmonic resonance on AllSpark fragment action of the intimate kind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompts: Scenario: intimacy in a confined space + Awkward Romance. With additional inspiration from [Shubert's Trio in E](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e52IMaE-3As).

Slipstream could only assume Soundwave was lucid enough to activate the Death's Head's remote systems, not that she knew exactly how he knew them, since Lockdown hadn't been forthcoming. Didn't matter. Slipstream led Soundwave up the ramp, through the cargo bay, and into the corridor beyond. 

Her comm system pinged. It was another call from Lockdown, which she didn't answer. If she had, she'd only yell at him, "Did you know?! Did you _know_!?"

The important thing was that she'd managed to confiscate - steal really - enough drapery material to craft makeshift cape and poncho to clothe them. Soundwave had seemed to be improving since, over the duration of their walk back to the port. Flying would have been faster, but Slipstream had been questioning even her own sensors. The distance wasn't unmanageable, given their scale. 

"He's coming back soon. Still on the other side of the city," Slipstream reported to Soundwave. 

He didn't respond, so Slipstream pulled the ornately embroidered poncho from him. "Maybe if we just recharge," She suggested.

"Commander."

She looked at him, though Soundwave's head was bowed to angle his visor away from her. "It wasn't like I meant _together_!" She explained, only guessing that was the issue. Not that she was opposed to such comforts in general, but this whole chain-of-command thing made things complicated. Not to mention, she was pretty sure Lockdown was the one Soundwave preferred. 

"Slipstream," Soundwave corrected. She felt one of his hands at her waist. "If you would just let me make you happy right now, I will respect you so hard!"

"That much?" She laughed. Oh, slag, he was serious. Was he?

"What do-?" She tried to say it again, with less tone of panic, "What exactly are we talking about here?"

Soundwave leaned against her; fell really. "Do you know what it's like? Build up. No finale."

No. Had he missed the vague references to her level of inexperience? Though, there was the ever-nagging feeling of knowing what potential Starscream had, though he constantly failed. "You might be surprised," She sighed bitterly. 

"You don not have to do anything. Just let me-" Soundwave lifted another hand and pressed it to her canopy glass. 

"No, no, no!" She delicately lifted Soundwave's hand from her chest between a pair of talons. 

"I do not require you to open." 

"Are we talking about what I think we're talking about?" Slipstream whispered.

"I need you to sing for me."

Oh! That. The _fulfillment from sound and data_ thing. "You sure? I mean, not the only one with a fragment- Anyway, you don't seem to be in the best state to decide such matters." 

"Negative." He sighed. "Being emotionally compromised is ideal time for this. Emotional is not the same as incapacitated."

Slipstream felt like she should argue the point, but then one - such as Soundwave - might argue that _she_ was emotionally compromised _all_ the time. "You have a point. Still-"

"I require you, Slipstream. We have a certain understanding."

"Yeah." They kinda did.

"Just say you are not opposed." He reached up and detached her cape so that it fell to the floor.

They totally did have understanding. "OK. Should we just-?" Before she could finish the question, the door to the washracks opened. 

"Better acoustics."

"You would know." She let Soundwave guide her into the small chamber. All hard surfaces. Didn't need to be a sound expert to imagine the echo and reverb that could occur. Even as the door slid shut, Slipstream felt the first wave of sound move through her. "You don't waste time!"

"I am highly efficient." 

"Never argued that." Slipstream pressed her back to a wall. It was a merely pleasant tingle at first, but it built. She didn't really _hear_ anything, but she could feel a slow repetition of waves flowing through her frame. Not like the chaos of shockwaves in battle. It was like a signal _designed_ to initiate pleasure all through her sensor network. 

"Infrasonics functioning adequately?"

"Understatment!" She gasped. Oh, slag, this was wrong and so completely brilliant at the same time. It was really working now. She had some sense that she was getting secondary and teriary waves bouncing back from the walls, from their bodies. Her gyrostabilizers fritzed first, and she sunk toward the floor. No way to stand or fly. Closeted in a small room. She should be freaking out. 

She was, kinda, all kinds of virtual errors and warnings were popping up. Slipstream felt like she was on the verge of overheating. Her ventilation system was on a continuous run. 

"Soundwave!"

Frag! She could feel it! The slaggin' fragment of the AllSpark in her chest was _humming_. 

Soundwave was just standing there. Watching. Listening. 

Slipstream clawed at the walls. "Here. Now!"

He complied. Soundwave stepped over her legs, then seated himself in Slipstream's lap. The waves felt even stronger when he was close. 

Slipstream sought for a handhold to draw Soundwave closer. "This. Doesn't. Mean. Anything."

"As you wish."

"What you need?"

"Close."

Slipstream felt like she was breaking, like the lump of concentrated spark energy inside her would suddenly snap and she'd deactivate. Except, it all felt _good_. Like all the sensory input would overload her processor, but incredibly good. "Can't" She kicked her legs, scraping thrusters over the floor, jostling Soundwave who sat atop her. 

"Can. So Beautiful." That same tone, but Slipstream believed he meant it.

Her visual processing was starting to go. "Just soldiers. Stress relief."

"Whatever you say." They had to both know it for a lie. It wasn't _just_ the infrasonics making _Slipstream_ feel something. Soundwave's shell felt even hotter, everywhere they touched. Hands grasped and clutched at her. That weird custom lighting of his traced his frame like external optical circuits, and made Slipstream think the grounder might actually be kind of cute, even as her vision blacked out. 

The crystalline spark inside her sang! Soundwave made a shockingly uncustomary growl as the infrasonic waves increased in frequency, then entered the audible range. Slipstream felt a hand pushing hard against her left wing. Then the hand _vibrated_.

Slipstream screamed. She'd remember doing that. Otherwise the pleasure overloaded her processor and she just blissed-out mindlessly for a while. 

When her systems rebooted, everything was quiet and still, except for a single vibrating digit along the least armored segment of her left arm. "You." She wasn't sure what else to say. What did you say to a subordinate who just rocked your world with some non-standard form of physical pleasure? Not to mention, she realized, this might just qualify as a 'first time' on a few levels.

"Your participation is sincerely appreciated." OK, that was a pretty good way to put it.

"You too, I guess."

"You liked it." Soundwave pushed himself up enough that they could see each other. The way his head was tilted, Slipstream could swear he was smiling beneath that mask.

"Like you didn't?"

"Quite well fulfilled," he admitted, amused. "Shall I leave you to collect yourself?"

"Collect myself?! Like I'm a puddle of goo or some scrap? You weren't _that_ good!" She gave Soundwave a shove, but he seemed already to be in the process of standing.

"I see our professional relationship is intact, Commander."

"Get out already!" She shrieked. But, he was right, Slipstream thought, watching him leave. Even if there were some _small_ level of physical appreciation or spark-felt respect, it didn't change what they were in public, or what their ultimate mission was.


	14. Thirteen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Travel montage of short scenes set on various planets and aboard the Death's Head.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: Use a Kreon bio as prompt. I chose [Starscream and his favorite passtimes](http://kreo.wikia.com/wiki/Starscream_%28Kre-O%29). With inspiration from the curiously upbeat [Duran Duran - Hungry Like the Wolf](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oOg5VxrRTi0)

"They'll run for the border! That's what you said!" Slipstream shouted at Lockdown as she fired back on the Torkulons. 

"Argument irrelevant. Retreat necessary."

"I'll hold them off," Lockdown growled, readying a sleep grenade. 

Slipstream shoved at his right shoulder, causing a blaster bolt to scorch his pauldron, as she rolled to avoid another. Blast would have hit him dead in the spark.

"Captain necessary to pilot ship," Soundwave reminded him.

Lockdown transformed and hauled aft for the Death's Head, as Slipstream shouted commands. "Soundwave, rock their world. I'll give you cover fire!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~`

So, the three bounty heads hadn't gone for Torkulon. He looked at the star maps and idea webs on his forward display. Why anyone would want to stay with the head-shrinking monkeys Lockdown couldn't fathom, but it had seemed a good target at the time. The kinda place only a mad mech would think to follow. It had been that or the freaky alien-morphers. 

"Where would they go?" Lockdown asked himself. "Octavian's ship couldn't travel far with out refueling."

He manipulated his idea web, putting a picture of a spaceport and fuel along a string connected to the ship in question. 

Behind him, something clattered, like his mod parts hitting the floor. "Kids!"

"Unintentional collapse."

Lockdown spun his chair around and saw the two replacing assorted parts into an intricate and vicariously balanced tower. He groaned and rubbed his faceplate. "Oil house games are _usually_ played when one or more parties are overcharged."

"It would be more challenging that way," Slipstream conceded, optics on Soundwave. But, when she turned her gaze to Lockdown she glared, "Not that we're so bored to the point of stasis lock that we're inventing new and thrilling ways to kill time."

"Thought you did _that_ while I was out finding the trail!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Juvenille native is sniffing my tires," Soundwave reported. 

"Shoo," Slipstream said to the little canine-form Delta-Pavonian.

"But they _were_ here?" Lockdown asked the feline native through the hospital window. 

Nearby, the locals were marveling at the all the _metal birds_.

"It is required after an accident," the cat said, "But they waived further care and paid up-front in galactic credits. I suggested they stay, given the girl looked so pale."

"Fits the description," Lockdown said, "Any indication where they were headed."

"The one of them speaks without a strong accent, but aside from translating for the others, all I heard was some talk of politics." 

"Much obliged," Lockdown said and passed the nurse a packet of nip. "For the clinic."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Lockdown studied his charts again. They hadn't run for the border after all, but headed deeper into Republic Space. There were a chain of systems they could hit making small jumps. But, where were they really going? 

_wobble wobble wobble_

Grand Central? If they knew mechs were on their trail. But they could just as easily get a ship or commercial transport on Nebulos itself.

_wobble wobble wobble CRASH_

If he plotted his course carefully, the Death's Head might just arrive ahead of them.

_wobble wobble clink CLASH_

The sound was driving him crazy! Lockdown rose, stretched, then walked toward the aft section. 

_wobble wobble hiss_

"In the gutter!" Slipstream whooped, then with mock sympathy, "too bad, really."

"What is it this time?" Lockdown asked. 

"Bowling," Soundwave toned, "modifications to archaic weapon make an excellent ball."

Lockdown saw it then: heavy, metal ball with new shiny spots marring the beautiful old patina. "My flail! You two disassembled my _flail!_!?" He roared and kicked the wall. "You don't _do_ that to an antique cyber-ninja mod!"

"Please, you had _two_ ," Slipstream snapped, holding up as many talons. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Slaggin' bureaucrats!" Lockdown cursed. Eurythman embassy was silent on matters of who may or may not be on their watch lists or granted asylum. He walked back to the Chip Shack where Slipstream and Soundwave were chatting all friendly like with some of the greenish squishies. 

"They'd be similar to me, one darker blue, the other black, nice silver and violet detailing." Slipstream was gesturing while holding a spindly graphite cookie in one hand.

"Haven't seen mechs like that in a while. Seekers, right?"

Slipstream nodded, still swallowing part of her cookie.

"If they do show up, I could give you a call." 

Laserbeak skwalked and Soundwave tossed him another silicon wafer.

"Unfortunately my officer and I are in the market for a new tachyon transmitter." 

"Those are hard come by. Pricey." 

"Those embassies must have some," Lockdown said, "What with needing to stay in contact with their homeworlds."

The Nebulan shrugged.

"They didn't let you in," Slipstream guessed. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Guard controlled," Soundwave reported. The Eurythman swayed at his station murmuring something about clearance. Soundwave lifted his keytar overhead and Ratbat transformed to land on his shoulder. Slipstream was borrowing Laserbeak.

"You really gotta tell me how you do that," Lockdown whispered, stalking behind in stealth mode. 

Ahead, Slipstream, bedecked in plush red cape and holding the condor on her arm spoke to the doorman. "Ambassador Commander Slipstream of the Vosian Protectorate on behalf of the Decepticon Empire," she said in her haughtiest tone.

The Eurythman doorman asked for a moment. 

"A klik," Soundwave translated. "Likely conducting scans."

"Let us hope everything checks out, as it should," Slipstream whispered. The mission would fail if Lockdown's stealth mods didn't hold up to the embassy's scans.

Soundwave detected whispered, lyric speech within. "She _looks_ like a Decepticon leader. Bird and everything; that's how I always heard them described."

"But how do we know? Do they carry ident cards, or do you look for an engraved model number?"

Soundwave quietly gave the translation. At that, Slipstream powered up one arm-mounted blaster and aimed it at the door the two Eurythman's stood behind. "You count how long it takes before we shoot. The Empire is not known for dispensing of mercy, or patience."

"Welcome, Ambassador."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"We're lucky that worked," Lockdown said as they regrouped in the Death's Head's cargo bay. 

"Not luck," Slipstream said, "If _we_ know anything it is dramatics." The slight evidence suggested she was speaking of Starscream. "Besides, I read a book on how to command-"

"Transmitter?" Soundwave asked. 

"Book?"

"Take it to the bridge until we can test it," Slipstream said, as she swung her cape from her shoulders. "Just a book."

"Well, you both did your parts, I can admit that. Not usually one for teamwork."

"Really? It's one of the Autobot's more intelligent strategies. Works out well for Optimus Prime, anyway. And Starscream was _just_ beginning to get the idea."

Autobots, Lockdown thought. Not a subject he felt like discussing. "You really still looking for them?"

Slipstream's glare said this should be obvious, but she answered all the same, "Not bounty hunting for the thrill of it." Then she laughed, "Keeps you off _my_ tail, at least." She walked into the corridor, dragging her cape. 

"Slipstream."

She looked back. Lockdown wasn't sure what he wanted to ask.

"Nevermind. I mean, It's different not working alone. I should tell you, this next stop is likely to be trouble."

"What kind of trouble?"

"They're not mech-friendly. Actually, the place is downright robophobic."

"On all the colonized worlds, when has _disguise_ ever been a problem?"


	15. Fourteen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The intrepid bounty hunters infiltrate Grand Central using holomatter avatars. Some rather cold actions are required of Soundwave to maintain cover and acquire information.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: song: [Placebo - Infra Red](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fISvc-yUU1A)
> 
> Slavery, real and pretended, is involved.

Lockdown negotiated landing access with Grand Central Space Station Control. It was part of his stock and trade that he had both holographic cloaking tech on his ship, plus forged registration codes. For all Control knew, they were talking to the Neblulan Captain of a merchant vessel out of the capitol. 

Once the Death's head was safely docked, Lockdown walked back to the cargo bay, where his actual body sat parked alongside the pimped-out black wagon. "You ready for this?"

Soundwave's holomatter avatar flashed into existence beside his chassis. 

"No. Not good enough. You gotta remember to use doors. Do it again."

The human-ish avatar in some manner of formal, blue, military - or military band - uniform flickered momentarily, then reached a hand for Soundwave's door handle. The hologram stepped into the interior, closed the door, then opened it again. He made a quick hand gesture with several fingers; Lockdown couldn't tell if it was supposed to be a salute, or grievous insult.

"You're gonna have to talk if we run into any questions."

Soundwave's avatar tipped his cap at Lockdown's own extension of his driver facsimile program.

"Come on, then. Slipstream should have docked by now."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~`

Slipstream followed Control's directions to dock within the station's large internal port. She mag-locked to her assigned dock. She let the pilot facsimile power down her engines while she called out to Ratbat, mag-locked to her dorsal plating. "Leaving now. Hang tight. Ping comms if anyone comes too close."

Slipstream got the affirmative chirp through comm system within her cockpit. She released the canopy hatch, and stood slowly as it rose with an automated subroutine. She lifted her helmet and dropped it back to the cockpit interior. She stood, raking her hair with fingernails apparently manicured into pointed arches as she scanned the docking area. 

Not immediately sighting Lockdown or Soundwave, she hopped to the ladder then climbed down. She spotted Lockdown first, because he _looked_ like Lockdown, despite also resembling a Nebulan with green-cast skin. Soundwave she identified more by process of elimination. The red visor was the same - smaller obviously - but otherwise his avatar looked like some kind of street-dancer-anime-military-officer-idol-singer. The cap either said 'chauffeur' or 'striptease policeman', Slipstream was undecided on this nuance of Earth culture.

But, it wasn't like Slipstream's avatar resembled herself much at all.

"Now who's a transvestite?" Lockdown asked. 

Slipstream's dusky lips pressed into a pout. "I inherited my fine features from my _father_ ," she said. "Can we go now?"

"Vaguely familiar," Soundwave said. He _didn't_ have that autotuned sound to his voice. Actually, he presently had kinda a warlord purr.

"Wow." Slipstream couldn't help but comment. She saw Lockdown took notice, too.

"Inherited from _my_ father," Soundwave said. He tipped his head. "Sari?"

Slipstream was too thrown-off by the question to ask if Soundwave had actually been created by Megatron. "What? No!" Maybe the brown skin and red eyes, but the mop of dark hair and bright red and silver flightsuit were all Starscream. Not to mention the rather skinny, flat shape of this figure. "Purely coincidental."

"C'mon, Pretty Boy," Lockdown called, "We best get moving if we want to find our _merchandise_." 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Their search was started in a place called Black Hole Bar & Grill. It looked like a saloon or cantina from a Western, with aliens. Lockdown's data regarding the robophobic climate proved accurate. Soundwave witnessed the bar keepers turn away even those subservient machines that traveled with organic masters. Illogical. Such devices were to basic in their programming to be a threat to these flesh creatures, not on their own. Soundwave proceeded to the bar. 

"What'll you have?"

In movies, lawmen or bounty hunters on an outlaw's trail would sometimes order a beverage first, to allay suspicions that they were present solely to collect information. "Whiskey, straight-up. None of that rot-gut you usually serve."

"Credit's first." The barkeep said, but he looked compliant. Credits couldn't just appear, Soundwave told himself. He reached inside a jacket, then brought out his hand with some currency he'd obtained on Nebulos.

The Barkeeper set a glass in front of Soundwave. It did not seem to be whiskey. Sensory data from the avatar was fed back to Soundwave's parked form for analysis. The visual scan suggested the beverage was a similar distilled product, probably whatever the bar's translation protocols suggested as equivalent. Soundwave lifted the glass to take a swig, then licked his lips. 

"You get a lot of trouble with those _drones_ being brought in?" Best to start him talking with a subject in which he showed interest.

"All the time. No one reads anymore."

"I hear you. All the signs and _they_ still show up. At least it's not the damned _networked_ ones." Give Soundwave a network and he'd show them.

"Right!" The bar keeper slammed his fist on the bar top. "I always say 'they'll take over', probably think it's _logical_ to save the galaxy from our viral growth or something!"

"Machines are cold," Soundwave said, "Incapable of caring for anyone." It felt strange to say, but this must be what the bar keeper wanted to hear.

"You see. That's why we have to stop it before it starts."

"I think they have the right idea on Eurythma. They _say_ they welcome technological races, but their harmonic technology is capable of disrupting many foreign machines."

"Yeah. I think I heard that, too." Analysis said this was a lie to save face. 

"Have you seen any Eurythmans here? I would like to talk to them about using their tech?"

"Actually...."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Lockdown strutted into Asteroid Alley, a poorly disguised black market within the station's less tourist-friendly parts. He scanned the area, looking for a sign of the Eurythman's or someone who could provide their whereabouts. But, the tech for sale! He could upgrade his upgrades with some of this stuff. 

"Focus," Slipstream whispered, "Feels like everyone's watching me here."

Lockdown tried to be real casual about scanning the interior, looking over Slipstream's shoulder, then turning as if to speak to Soundwave. "What I hear is ya can buy anything here," Lockdown said, "finding the right contact is the problem."

"Before they _find_ us," Slipstream said. "Can't tell if some of these want to sell me something or want to sell _me_."

"If peddling you on the black market would help, Sweetness," Lockdown started, but stopped before it became a real threat. Bounty hunting was one thing...that's what he told himself.

"If _you_ were going to take someone, would you do it in front of _witnesses_?" Slipstream made a snort-like sound. "If anyone's gonna be bait, it'll be when we're seen leaving."

"Selling unnecessary," Soundwave said. "You have suspects?"

"I'll bet on the one with the bird in the bikini," Lockdown said.

"Space cricket just behind you," Slipstream said, looking past Soundwave, "Or the female - I think - on your 3 o'clock.

"Or she's just a pilot groupie," Lockdown chuckled. 

"One way to determine target," Soundwave said, purred really. The holographic smile seemed really out of character. 

Yeah, what's that?" Lockdown asked, looking around again to the named suspects. 

The visor came off and Lockdown saw a flash of narrow gold eyes, and like _sparkles_ , as Soundwave turned around and backhanded Slipstream across the face. 

She stepped back, reeling. 

"You made me break my _visor_! Soundwave roared, "You better crawl! _You_ , can be replaced."

"What the s-?" Soundwave's hand closed over Lockdown's mouth, even as he was still glaring at Slipstream. An act? Of course. Had to be. The kid wasn't like this. Like a certain warlord about to crumple his Seeker's wing?

Slipstream fell to her knees, crawling to Soundwave's feet. "Please, Master, not in the _face_!"

"Coulda-" Lockdown tried to speak, but Soundwave rounded on him as he did, dropped his hand to grasp the spiked collar around Lockdown's neck. 

"Did I _ask_ you to speak?!" One jerk at the collar and Soundwave's mouth was on him. 

Frag. Was about all Lockdown could think. But he saw the female suspect watching them. She started to move toward them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 12/22/2013 I will be continuing this soon. I, your author, was sick for a few days, and my work schedule sometimes leaves stretches of days of free time, followed by busy time. Meanwhile, I'm looking out for prompts that strike me as right for this fic.


	16. Fifteen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The morning after Madame Junko's "mixer", data tracks are rather fragged, but slowly the bits come together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: "The morning after an epic party". With additional inspiration from [Rob Dougan - Matrix - Clubbed to Death [Kurayamino Mix] ](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0RudpFzGLbo)

Soundwave felt rather...crispy, for lack of a more appropriate term. His drives seemed a mess of scattered bits; piecemeal file-parts everywhere. He'd just come out of recharge, but felt like he hadn't had any stasis in cycles. Correction: He hadn't been in recharge at all. Soundwave suspected he had mistaken the sensation of returning fully to his own body after using the holomatter so long, that it felt like waking. 

CYCLES EARLIER:

The music was pounding, a steady bass track that was felt, a customized jockeying of samples, orchestration, and synth tracks. DJ might have made him fall in love. Soundwave wanted to dance with everybody in the place. The music struck him at the very kernel of his programming; he'd been made to sing and dance. Designed to be the vessel for another, but gifted with a unique set of upgrades that led to him being Soundwave, and no longer useful to his designer as originally intended. He had been owned, and played with, and self-realized as a mech who disdained organic mistresses and masters. But, that - logical or not - had not cancelled his intense interest, attraction for, and talent with music. 

If they played his song, he was going to shake it on the dance floor. And the song felt like it should be his. 

PRESENT: 

Some of the previous cycles began to coalesce; packets transferred from temp to archive data tracks. Madame Junko. The "Mixer". Maintaining the charade of being traders in organic beings. A metal rasp drew Soundwave's attention and he extended his sense. Lockdown was beside him, parked in the cargo bay. 

"Someone get the name of that truck?" Lockdown asked, "Cause my processor feels like it's been hit."

"Negative. Facsimile program is a memory hog." Overuse had its side-effects.

"Oh, Kid. 'Bout last night...."

Soundwave tried to fold himself more tightly into his alt-form, though it was not truly possible. He remembered, now. 

LAST NIGHT: 

Inside the go-go cage. Holomatter bodies pressed flush against each other. Still undulating in time to the dance beats. Hardlight projections merging in a fierce kiss. Soundwave wanted this. Had wanted it. With the avatar he could take what he wanted. It was as much as mask - maybe moreso - than those he wore across his faceplate. He could pretend, here, without fields interacting, without the give-away of heat and revving engine, that it was just for show, a ploy to deceive enemies. And if he could pretend, then he didn't have to admit what he wanted, and wait for acceptance, or face rejection. He didn't ever have to say, "I want to strap you down, force you into VR, and just kill time road-tripping across desert and through canyons, and kick-up dust with you, then lie under the stars."

PRESENT: 

"It was for show," Soundwave toned, knowing it for a lie. 

"Pretty convincing show."

Soundwave wondered if this meant Lockdown had liked it. He did not know how to respond. He questioned whether his actions had been logical at all. Soundwave extrapolated that he must be feeling like those organic oppressors who stumbled out of Dancitron, or the diners and residences nearby, on their way to the bus in the morning. Their scant, yet, elaborate attire emphasizing that they had been up dancing or hooking-up for the duration of the night. Soundwave hated how they manipulated their media devices, but still parked nearby to hear the tunes.

"I have many skills."

"That's what I'm saying, mech! Knew about the upgrade assimilation and pets, but I wasn't countin' on the avatar play or the _voice_."

Soundwave did not reply.

"Why do you alter it?"

"Why do you wear so many mods?"

Lockdown didn't have an easy answer for that, but Soundwave hoped his silence indicated he understood. There were remnants of Soundwave's original intended function in his build and programming, but the key had made him who he was. There were things he needed to make his own. Cover-up the past.

AFTER THE DANCING:

Soundwave, his avatar at least, sat on a banquet, scanning the room as he made yet another show: making up with his pleasure slave after punishment had been necessary. Soundwave knew very well the role irritated his Commander, but they were committed now to playing the part, because Madame Junko's network of informants was said to inform her of everyone on the Station that might fit her client list or supply needs. Especially, she claimed, if they were exotic, or possessed of special talents. There had been a suggestion that she might soon come into possession of a Eurythman, one she would see to it was brought to the mixer.

"If it doesn't turn out to be one of _them_ , and soon, I am going to slag somebody!" Slipstream hissed.

Soundwave put a thumb to her chin, lifting it with fingers beneath. "Another cycle," Soundwave proposed.

"Easy for you! Probably your dream to oppress organics. All of this-" She waved casually to the party around them, "is entirely against my programming."

"Not easy." Complicated: Soundwave wanted to add. Command: made him feel less himself.

"Perhaps not." Her male avatar raised a brow, yet Soundwave could easily imagine Slipstream's optics gazing at him knowingly. Could she guess things about him as much as he could about her? Soundwave did not have inherited memory files, as Slipstream seemed to. But he did have excellent surveillance and data processing capability. He could put the so-called two and two together. 

He softly placed a kiss upon his slave's lips.

"Don't," Slipstream whispered. 

Soundwave complied, though the margin of space he put between them was very small. For show, he told himself. He watched the pretty pilot shiver and twitch his shoulders. Soundwave understood that as Slipstream struggling to control an avatar that lacked expressive wings.

"Freedom fighters, trying to reclaim our homeland?! Rejecting the control systems of the council and guilds. And we're going to slavers for help?"

"You - we do not really fight for freedom. You know that."

"But we should! We were supposed to be! You- wanting even _automatons_ to rise up!" She put her hardlight hands to his face and looked at him.

Soundwave understood. She'd been a clone. A weapon. He'd been a vessel. A toy.

PRESENT:

"Fully present now, I see," Slipstream said, but the voice came from Lockdown. Rapidly one of his doors opened, nearly came close enough to scratch Soundwave's paint. 

"The frag!?" Lockdown shouted. "How long you _been_ in there?" 

Slipstream's pilot avatar was curled against Lockdown's interior upholstery. "My body was docked all the way over there," she explained, as if it were logical. "What you so uptight about? The fact that you modded your interior hardly says 'keep out'."

"Just don't touch-!"

Soundwave could not see whether she did touch anything, but Lockdown was flustered all the same. 

"Should be more tolerant. After all, this little avatar is what got me Lacrimosa's contact info."


	17. Sixteen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lockdown is glad to get away from Decepticon Central and just hunt, meanwhile said 'Cons are working on improving and expanding their team.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: Use a [poetry generator](http://www.gotpoetry.com/Sections/op=viewarticle/artid=40.html) to generate a line to use as prompt. I got: "In the recesses of desertion the visions volley". Further inspiration from [LINKIN PARK x STEVE AOKI - A LIGHT THAT NEVER COMES](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ToHo29kD9Go)

Soundwave sat folded in alt-mode, speakers extended either side to share a dance track with the interior of the Death's Head, which at present was only Slipstream's avatar. She appeared to dance atop the bridge's main console, but Soundwave was certain this was not for his entertainment. She simply moved to the music as she went about her own work. Lockdown was out on the hunt, and as they were still within Grand Central Space Station, they could not risk revealing themselves as Cybertronians, or mechanisms. The only way Slipstream could operate on Lockdown's ship was via avatar. Soundwave was aware of her current attempts to contact other Decepticons, as he was on hand to assist his Commander with use of the tachyon transmitter they had liberated from the Eurythman Embassy on Nebulos. 

Soundwave might have transformed without notice, given the combination of holographic, cloaking, signal dampening, and data encryption their small alliance possessed. It simply was not necessary. His own current tasks were data-oriented, so had no need to move so much as a servo. The music was purely for inspiration as he worked, although the particular genre of music was selected because Slipstream seemed to respond to it more positively than Rock. That the Commander showed a preference for Electronica, Dance and high vocals seemed information of vital importance to Soundwave. He was still working on discovering what Lockdown liked. 

"Refresh," Soundwave said aloud. 

Slipstream seemed to turn toward him; still in the default avatar she had apparently inherited from her template: Starscream. It lowered its head then glitched, flickered out of sight, and reappeared. The avatar's body looked the same, but its head was changed in appearance: still brown, with red eyes and dark hair; but the holographic hair was sleeker, and just a little longer; the face less angular; lips fuller; and the ears ornamented with large gold hoops. And, if Soundwave could say with any objectively, the hologram was quite realistically rendered. Of course, part of that was Slipstream's own facsimile circuitry. 

"Commence test of vocal sync."

Slipstream stood with her weight seemingly on one leg, arms across her chest, glaring. It looked just like a glare Slipstream would give when displeased, which wasn't as chastening as she probably intended, as it showed his programming ability to advantage. 

"If you please, Commander, I will observe the avatar's vocal sync."

She smiled, slightly off-white teeth with slightly pronounced canines, then sang. "The nights go on~ Waiting for a light that never comes~" It was very Eurythman in style, even if most likely something picked-up on Earth. And it made Soundwave's spark spin just a little. 

"Excellent." 

The smug smirk the avatar gave him was just as _Slipstream_ as it should be. Soundwave heard her go back to attempting to contact the Decepticon Skywarp. Soundwave returned to his task of editing Slipstream's avatar, through his encrypted connection to Ratbat, who was now hardwire linked to Slipstream's shell elsewhere in the Station's docking bay.

~~~~~~~~

 

Lockdown was glad to be back on the hunt. Solo. No denying the kids had been some help, but for once he was glad to be away from his own ship, at least in this projected form. It had been getting rather too Decepticon aboard since they got that slaggin' transmitter. Was like suddenly the jet had forgotten that she pretty much had deserted the cause. Lockdown had almost been hoping the two of them would see the advantages in being neutral operators. 

Fluid allegiance in one made of _Starscream_ shouldn't have been shocking. 

Lockdown wasn't sure what the Seeker was playing at, or if he even _wanted_ to know. But, one thing was certain: The Death's Head wasn't to be commandeered by anyone! Let them contact their faction. Lockdown was not taking on more strays. And he wasn't joining any team.

The Eurythman he was tailing walked from the Circuit Shack. No obvious purchase, but she seemed to be carrying the same little, metal case she had on entering. Lockdown waited, let her put some space between them, then stepped out into pedestrian traffic. All day he'd been following this one, and the lady in black hadn't led him to any other Eurythmans, let alone one fitting the description of Marcato. 

Lacrimosa stopped to view some clothing; the flimsy stuff that many organics wore to cover their vulnerable protoforms. Sure there was armor made for the squishies of her size, but Lockdown usually saw it on those in a trade alike to his. 

He walked past, not wanting to make it obvious he was following. Old trick that: checking a shop window for reflection of someone on your trail. 

Where were the other two? Laserbeak had lately identified and hacked Octavian's ship, but it hadn't turned up any new leads, only confirmed the trail Lockdown had already followed. 

As pointless as this hunt seemed right now, Lockdown considered heading back to the Circuit place and picking-up some parts to fabricate one of those mini-con connectors. 

Lacrimosa was on the move again, heading for a hotel with rest rates. Lockdown had already paid a visit to the propritor and was satisfied the Eurythman dancer wasn't using the room for anything but actual rest, despite the reputation such places had for rendezvous of various sorts. 

Lockdown needed to get access to the actual room if he were to learn anything more there. He'd need specific equipment and timing for that. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Is it r-really you?" the warbling vocalization came through the Death's Head main communication system. 

"Who else would it be?" Slipstream asked bitterly.

There was a silence, followed by a whimper, then a shouted attempt at bravery, "I-I'm NOT AFRAID OF YOUR QUINTESSON TRICKS!"

Slipstream paced the bridge's main console, gesturing her frustration with holographic hands, then stopped to glare toward the large viewscreen displaying a somewhat pixelated video transmission of a black and lavender Seeker with wide, red optics. "For Spark's sake, Skywarp! it's an avatar. A completely _human_ looking avatar. This place isn't exactly bot-friendly, so I can't show my face right now." Slipstream turned away to look at Soundwave, but he wasn't going to be of specific help here, unless he could quickly hack together an avatar that looked like Slipstream's own shell. And _that_ she imagined would only convince Skywarp that she really was trying to trick him. 

"Maybe if you say something only Slipstream would know?" 

"Like what!?" the avatar seemed to sigh. "Starscream's an idiot? You're a coward? You and Thundercracker got sucked through a space bridge with that little blue bot? It's not like we had all this _bonding_ time together."

"So you're an Autobot spy!" The wide red optics seemed to grow wider.

"No, slag it! Can you just-? I mean it's not going to hurt to give me some information. Or, are you saying you and Thundercracker are _purposely_ deserting?"

"Oh, no. Deserting would be scary. All alone. On the run. The d-d-d JUSTICE DIVISION!" Skywarp appeared to be looking around for them now.

"Well, if you're not deserting, then you must be making _every_ effort to report to a superior officer and get back to your post. And unless you know where that _loser_ is, you may as well tell me."

"Yes, well, about that; Thundercracker."

"Let me guess. _He's_ the only one worthy of command."

A nod.

"Then tell Sub-Commander Thundercracker that Sub-Commander Slipstream is making every attempt to locate _our_ Commander, and captive team members, and _highly_ suggests his Worthiness use all available assets to return to post or rendevous with additional team members."

"Captive?! Who's taking us captive?!"

"Right, you were conveniently absent when the Elite Guard had a bounty hunter rounding up every Decepticon he could find on Earth. Ramjet and Sunstorm are probably in prison on Cybertron by now."

"But what if he comes after _us_?" Skywarp whispered.

"He's not going to as long as he's chasing _me_." Besides, Slipstream knew he'd need Megatron or E.G. around before even thinking of collecting.

"Are you INSANE? D-d-doesn't _he_ strip bots of their mods?" 

"You don't want to know. Just, get Thundercracker to do something useful. Use flattery, or...just look at him with those optics and plead. Or something."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Soundwave was working on finishing touches to Slipstream's custom avatar when Lockdown returned. It was quick work for one who had programmed a virtual reality world, but Soundwave had not expected Lockdown to return before he was finished, especially without his quarry. "No joy?" he asked, as Lockdown walked onto the bridge, rolling his shoulders after being out of his shell so long. 

"Still on the trail," Lockdown said. He stretched his arms overhead before falling back into his Captain's chair. 

Soundwave transformed, reducing volume as the speakers shifted position with the rest of his parts. He mimicked Lockdown's stretch. Only the avatar seemed to be watching, now rather more female-humanoid in shape and apparently dressed in a violet, cropped bomber jacket, tight jeans, and tall teal boots.

"Whoa, that you?" Lockdown asked. 

"Who else?" Slipstream asked. This made Soundwave smile behind his mask. The answer was just very _her_. 

"Kid does good work. 'Course you don't look so much like a pilot now."

"What? Like there's a physical type?"

Lockdown chuckled and kicked his feet up to the console. "Nope. Just noting the lack of flightsuit."

Slipstream smirked, flickered, then appeared wearing a violet flightsuit with teal piping. 

"We thought of that," Soundwave answered on behalf of them both. "Do you require fuel?"

"Could use a little something. A lot of processor work working the avatar."

"Cool drink then," Slipstream said, as Soundwave went to Lockdown's storge cabinet for the appropriate coolant. "I've already had to file reports to the dock service team to check my _ship's_ coolant levels for a leak. We need to get out of here, soon."

Lockdown scratched at his jaw with his hook, thinking, and extended a hand to take the beverage as Soundwave delivered it. "Thanks, Wave." Soundwave logged the new shortening of his designation as positive and familiar. 

"You are most welcome," Soundwave replied, and leaned his side against Lockdown's chair. He saw Slipstream giving him that knowing look, but it was no more than he gave her on occasion. They had an understanding. 

"Play something else," she said, almost snapped. "A bot can only take so much bass."

Soundwave was smiling, again. "Requests? Lockdown?"

"What? Oh. Something mellow. Been a long couple cycles. Need to go out again in a while to check one more lead."

Soundwave silently cycled through saved tracks and available broadcasts. 

"As long as we get out of here soon."

"If you need further relaxation, we could try VR," Soundwave suggested. 

Lockdown tipped his head up to regard Soundwave, he looked _interested_. "Raincheck?" He went back to his drink. "Need my head in the game, for now. 'M startin' to think Marcato and Octavian managed to leave the station."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanted this to go more in the direction of Lacrimosa putting on some trippy, hypnotic show, but it just didn't come to me. Maybe that can be later.


	18. Eighteen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After events of [Chapter Seventeen](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1122482), it becomes apparent that Lockdown wasn't as discreet as he'd thought. Soundwave and Slipstream know he'd enjoyed being dominated, and even that he'd called out the wrong name in heat of passion. They don't see why Lockdown needs to leave the ship to get what he wants.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompts: A character has a fantasy; what happens when there is opportunity for it to come true + Dominance. 
> 
> Further inspiration: [Muse - Neutron Star Collision](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bMtDYG1CgNw).
> 
> Contains: fantasy fulfillment in form of beat-down/stripping/domination/harangue, with dubious consent.

Lockdown heard hushed voices as he returned to the ship. He'd wondered why Sounder and Trixie had left before him. "...do it now or later?" Slipstream was saying; it sounded like they were on the bridge. 

"Now. When he will not expect it," Soundwave toned. 

Lockdown froze, then put his back to the interior wall. His first thought was that whatever his two not-quite-freeloading 'Cons were planning, it wasn't good. 

"He should have known better," Slipstream said. 

Oh? Should he have? Were they miffed that he'd had some fun without them? Too bad. Not his problem. But he wasn't about to let them get the drop on him. Lockdown crept toward the bridge. 

He hardly had time to notice the slight change in light as someone struck him from behind.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Maybe he should have _trained_ more with the Cyber-ninjas, instead of stealing from them," Slipstream said smartly, wielding Lockdown's antique flail. She stepped up onto Lockdown's back to make certain he stayed down. 

"Oldest trick," Soundwave toned, approaching from the bridge. 

"Old mech," Slipstream said. "You watch to see if he reboots, while I drag his sorry aft to the bay."

"Affirmative."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Lockdown onlined; that hit had shocked his CPU enough to need a hard reboot. He was in the cargo bay of the Death's Head, on the floor, with red visor and optics glowing at him through the dimness. He sent a wireless command to raise the lights. Nothing. He rubbed his hand over the back of his head, as he glared toward the dark, broad figure with the red visor. "Pre-recorded conversation?"

"Affirmative. Also, yes, I am jamming your comms."

Lockdown saw the movement of Slipstream's thruster coming toward him in the periphery of his vision. He didn't have time to get his hand to her, so he aimed his hook head-on towards her boot and jammed the thruster. She could still fire the one on her right without risk, and the lift was enough to pull her free. 

"We're gonna have it out. You didn't ask. I didn't ask. But it's time." She said. 

" _That's_ what this is about?!" Lockdown stayed where he was, he didn't really want to have to hurt Slipstream, or Soundwave, not _really_. Still wouldn't mind getting a good look at the parts under some of their armor, but that was _different_. "You an me?"

"No, not _just_ you and I!" Slipstream shouted. The lighting brightened, probably hijacked by Soundwave. Lockdown could see him there with the Guitar and Keytar propped at his sides. "You're really clueless if you don't understand Soundwave's interest, but since _he's_ better equipped to monitor your energy signature, the physical stuff falls to me." At that, Slipstream lunged at his right leg, grabbed and hauled on it, until Lockdown found himself sliding across the smooth flooring into the interior hull.

Wait-? Energy signature? Like making sure a bounty head wanted intact wasn't offlining before delivery? 

"Recommendation: some semblance of defense." Soundwave reached for the keytar-bat and stood like he was about to play. 

What was _really_ going on?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Slipstream stomped toward Lockdown, as Soundwave began to play a piano melody. Not what she'd expected, but the fight music was all him. "Get up!" she shouted. "You think I'm doing this just for kicks?" She put her foot down on Lockdown's pipes. "Fraggin' piece of scrap! Show me those _few_ Cyber-ninja moves!"

Slipstream was relieved when Lockdown glared up at her. How many fighting words did he _need_? His arms dropped. Here was where the plan got tricky: she needed to come out on top. "It's more than a few, Sweetspark." He was rising to his feet. 

The quick round-off-cartwheel thing was a surprise, but then then Lockdown probably had the parts of a mech less than half his age. Slipstream dodged. She could almost _feel_ Soundwave's disapproval. The idea was for her to be on the offensive here. 

"Thought you wanted to have it out, Trix?"

Why he hadn't attacked her back, instead of bantering, she didn't know. Maybe he understood it was a game. Usually was with them. Just, today, her objective was rather more specific. She pivoted. "Oh, but I _do_ ," Slipstream said sweetly. Then she rolled quickly toward him and clawed his right leg. His opposite knee came at her, she made herself take it in the jaw, as she swept her own legs behind the one supporting his weight. 

Lockdown went down, atop her, but Slipstream was already following the spin of her legs with the rest of her body and managed to pin three of Lockdown's limbs against the floor, except that hook. "You like this? You want to be with someone who can give you a fight?"

"You don't know _anything_!" Lockdown spat. His hook pried at her nearest gauntlet. She made herself take the pain. AllSpark fragment, she thought, AllSpark fragment, ship full of tools and mods. Nothing permanent.

"That how you want this to go?" Fine! Slipstream used her one free hand to unlatch one of Lockdown's spiked pauldrons. "You like it when someone strips _your_ parts! How many bots _have_ you disassembled?"

"One too few," he said. Lockdown entwined his injured leg against her thrustered boot that pinned it, and with that and the hook, managed to push Slipstream off. Just then, Soundwave's piano melody switched to rock, as he'd obviously also switched instruments.

Slipstream stood, optics fixed on Lockdown as he hopped right up onto his own feet. "You do have permission to _try_." They both had. "But you do seem to have a problem committing."

Lockdown came at her with a combo of kicks. "Who has fluid allegiance now?"

Slipstream didn't even try to block the kicks to her side and instead settled for punching Lockdown in the face. He wasn't quite quick enough to block, needing his arms for counterbalance. He landed in a crouch, and Slipstream kicked him in the side, about where he'd struck her. "At least I have a _cause_!" Issues with current Leadership, aside, of course. "Not like I'm switching factions! Not like I call out the wrong name while _interfacing_!" 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Oh frag. They _had_ been listening. Then this was about-? They knew. The realization was enough to make him forget to guard, Slipstream's thruster-powered knee struck and uppercut to his jaw. Lockdown staggered backward, as Slipstream continued ranting at him. 

"Sure! Organics can be worthy adversaries! Support the fraggin' squids our people fought a _war_ against, so you can _mingle._! You're free to choose to be a _toy_! But you could do it _FARTHER AWAY_ from those of us who _know_ what it's like to be _created_ with the _function_ of being used or controlled!"

"No," Lockdown said. He righted himself, glanced quickly from Slipstream to Soundwave and back. "Don't you lay that on me." He wasn't just a thing, not to Shandikar or anyone. None of them were _things_. Didn't they think he knew?

"Oh? You're better than that?" Slipstream walked right up to him and tore his second pauldron from its shoulder mount. "'Cause I thought you were a _bad_ bot. Factionless. Back-stabbing. Mod-stealing. Protoform-stealing-"

All of that was true, but, "If I hadn't-"

"What? Like my life is so glorious I should just bow down and worship you?" She grabbed his neck in her talons. "I am _not_ your Angel of Redemption, Lockdown. You can go cry to the Autobots. But if it is punishment you need, _we_ are more than capable of fulfilling that requirement."

Soundwave was rocking to a crescendo. 

Lockdown lifted hand and hook to Slipstream's arm; it was the one with the damaged gauntlet, the exposed optical circuitry glowed magenta. Frag if he hadn't been dying to know the color. "You don't know me, Angel." Let her be Vengeance or Punishment; the name fit. 

Her talons squeezed the spiked plating, sending confused pleasure and pain signals to his sensornet. "You've been off your game, Lockdown. The male Eurythman's are halfway back to Grand Central with a shipment of Lead Sulfide they got from the male workers. If you cannot _ask_ for what you need to stay focused, then _we_ will have to use what we _do_ know to decide for you."

"Not gonna beg."

"Soundwave?" Slipstream prompted. 

"Vocal and EM field analysis: positive response. Recommendation: Further physical harm."


	19. Nineteen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After the apparent fade to black, Lockdown, Slipstream and Soundwave are all about Decepti-fluff and afterglow. P.S. Lockdown is physically a hot mess.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompts: "Fluff" + "Well-earned Trophy" 
> 
> With inspiration from this slow jam: [Phaeleh - Afterglow (feat. Soundmouse)](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J2OCSWF7sAw).
> 
> These bots have fluffy feelings over recent beatings, mod-stripping, energy fields, trophies, and probing. So....cute snuggles and kisses, which happen to follow Lockdown getting all messed up.

Lockdown was in cooldown. Lying stripped nearly to bare metal on hard substrate, somewhere on the bridge. He wasn't sure he could move very far, even if he wanted to. But, a mech'd be crazy to leave these two now, he thought. Slipstream was seated at his side, hip snug against his stripped chassis, legs folded away from him, and most of her weight supported by her single stripped arm on his other side. He could see the locked joints in the magenta glow of her vacant weapons ports. Soundwave wasn't far from either of them, reclining nearby, pumping out a slow jam at low volume. He didn't touch much, but Soundwave didn't need to touch to make anybot feel his presence. 

The beat-down had been brutal, and Lockdown figured he had needed it, and scrap, maybe deserved it, too. Their Seeker had ripped armor and mods from him. They'd thrown each other across every room on the main deck. And then it had stopped. Lockdown had been shaking, optical ports hungry to have mods again. It had hurt, but it had been a good pain. Made everything sharp. 

Then the light touches. Whispers. Still cruel, but soft, like killing with kindness. Ex-vented air. Sharp digits ghosting over his mess of circuits and ports, teasing connection. Rasping glide of lips on exposed protoform. And that was all before Soundwave joined them, with his enveloping energy field. The harmonics. His mood music. Lockdown didn't think Soundwave had talked at all during that time. 

Slipstream had talked. Whispered. Telling Lockdown what she really thought of that one mod she'd left him, claiming it was as disgusting as loyalty programming, even as she _probed_ its recesses with her _talons_.

Lockdown shuddered again, just thinking about it. 

"Relax," she said now. "Piecemeal heap of scrap, you'll damage something."

Lockdown chuckled at that. The words were so-called sweet nothings coming from her. He lifted his stump of an arm to her near as bare arm. Hook was gone. Bent round her neck, like a piece of jewelry. She could keep her trophy. Looked real good there, he thought. And she'd earned it. Besides, Lockdown had spares.

Part of him wanted to strip the rest of her. But, this was good. The contrast made a nice picture. Slipstream's arm _looked_ more bare against her armored chassis. 

"You're beautiful."

"Try harder," Slipstream said, but the shift of optical lenses and lips said the compliment pleased her well enough. 

"Good in command."

"Oh. Those were just put-downs, really. We can try real commands next time."

"Promise?" Because that could be hot. 

She didn't speak to answer, just licked her lips, ever so slightly. Lockdown saw her free hand move toward him. Maybe she'd been touching Soundwave just then, he wasn't sure. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Real command was not a game, but a pretended, temporary command could be fun, Slipstream thought. The stripping and beating itself didn't do much for her, except that she was doing it to _Lockdown_. But the parts when he fought back, a little, were really good. A flow of give and take. 

Telling him off was a needed release, but she'd gotten that out of her system for now. 

That he'd _let_ her mess him up was a power trip. That was what got her. So, pretend command? "If Soundwave wants to help, again." He was lying on the floor in a position opposite Lockdown, where she could still reach his face, if she wanted to, though she danced talons over Lockdown's multi-colored optical circuits for the moment. Mech was a hot mess of adapters, weld lines, and customized ports. 

Soundwave's near arm stretched out, nearly touching a port along the arm Lockdown had folded beneath his head, but retreating. 

"I think he's got a _hard_ drive for your data, though." Slipstream shivered to think of it: allowing a master of information and communication systems a hardline connection. 

Soundwave tilted his head, and the visor looked up at her. It was like he knew, but maybe her feelings were more obvious in her own energy field than she knew. She visualized it contracting. "Please," he said, artificial tone stripped from his voice. Slipstream's control fizzled, her field expanded and she was certain Soundwave _felt_ pleased. 

When he spoke again, that tone was back. "Desire for data exchange: accurate guess." And then, "I can wait."

"Pretty heavy stuff, Wave," Lockdown said. 

"Acknowledged." 

Slipstream's gaze was drawn to her bare arm; it seemed wrong to see Lockdown without this hook. She kinda really liked the hook, secretly, of course. She was so keeping it. Without that edge of danger, Lockdown's touch felt downright comforting. "Please tell me you'll polish my wings." She was embarrassed to have said it. 

"You tryna get all worked-up again?" 

She averted her gaze. "No. I mean, like now. Nice, like that. No power tools." 

"Any time," Lockdown promised, vocalizer laced with static. 

Slipstream could hear Soundwave moving, but if she turned, she'd have to _see_ the expression on Lockdown's faceplate.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Soundwave turned toward Slipstream. He could feel the discomfort with having to voice her need. He wanted her to feel better. Not only so he could return to blissing-out on sated energy fields, but because he wanted _her_ to be happy. Soundwave was the one who had really felt hurt by Lockdown, and Slipstream had figured it out and voiced the feelings for him. Their particular understanding was truly satisfying.

Soundwave searched for a place to touch Slipstream that would be 'nice', and not get her 'worked-up'. This seemed problematic with the Seeker's frame, so her planted on hand on her thigh, as he climbed onto her lap. 

Slipstream turned her head to look on him. Soundwave could see they had Lockdown's attention, as well. He still wanted a lot more from Lockdown. He was resolved, at least, that it was Lockdown's right to _choose_ to take orders from an organic, and even to interface with one. It did not please Soundwave in any way, but conversely, Lockdown's careless attitude that enabled him to make such choices was otherwise something Soundwave found attractive. Soundwave could wait. He could wait for more. 

Today, Slipstream had done a lot to make him happy. So, Soundwave would do what he was able to return the feeling. He stretched up until their helms touched. He tilted his head one way, then the other, enjoying how their energies interacted at close proximity. He consciously dropped the tuning from his vocalizer. "Permission?"

Somewhere Laserbeak and Ratbat were covering Prince, "your......kiss~!"

"Yeah," she said with a deep, airy sigh.

Soundwave commanded his mask to retract. He could feel Slipstream's lips on his faceplate and recalculated the geometry between them. Their lips touched, only lightly. There was a word for this. Butterfly kisses? Lips slowly opening and shutting like the insect's wings. Alighting softly. Something small that caused a chain reaction that led to a hurricane-strong force of nature. "Oh, Baby!" He didn't know how else to express it, except to rise fully to his feet and cradle her head with his other hand. 

Her mouth had been all over Lockdown, hadn't it? It was, in a manner of speaking, like Soundwave was kissing them both. He could, now, feel the vicarious thrill in Lockdown's field as he watched them. Slipstream's AllSpark fragment sang to him. 

Soundwave leaned back, and then, unintentionally, fell the rest of the way to the floor. "Shower," he said.


	20. Twenty

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> While chasing the current bounty in Grand Central, Lockdown gets introspective about some of Yoketron's old lessons.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: Pick a favorite quote and use it as the first line. Quote: "You have to rely on whatever sparks you have inside." - Lisa Kleypas, _Sugar Daddy_. Plus this epic showdown music: [Muse - Knights of Cydonia](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q3Yc3HhSl1Q). Marcato's lines are from the song.

"You have to rely on whatever sparks you have inside." Fortune goodie scrap that Yoketron dished out in the Corps, but Lockdown had remembered it. Hard to forget the Master repeatedly drawing attention to his shortcomings. "Lockdown fails to understand, once again," Yoketron would say. 

He could do the physical stuff no problem. Demonstrate all the cyber-katas. Metallikato. Crystalocution. Even Circuit-su, which slaggin' _relied_ on his own spark energy! But that wasn't good enough.

Spark, he'd tried! It had confused him from the start why the saying used plural 'sparks', like a bot could have more than one. Lockdown'd lost count of the number of mediation sessions he'd devoted to the slaggin' cyber-koan. What he got outta the saying was the sense that Lockdown himself was the only thing he could well and truly rely on. The only spiritual guidance he needed was the tendencies of his own spark. 

And after all the seeking and meditation and reminders of his failings, Lockdown's spark was set on _getting_ what he sought, for once. Yoketron could go on about the dangers, his scrap about cause and effect and transforming into a turbofox - whatever that meant. Lockdown realized that there was a world of professions outside the Corps, and all that function, caste, and faction rhetoric could get slagged, too! 

The pit-slagged thing was, Lockdown thought he might just have figured out what the fraggin' koan meant. Now, Yoketron dead by his own actions, and Prowl off wearing the Master's armor, Lockdown suspected he was the fool that had missed something that should have been obvious. 

He probably should have caught on when he ran into Prowl on Earth. The offer of partnership that was rejected left a cold, empty feeling in his spark. Mostly, Lockdown hadn't wanted to admit it had anything to do with missed companionship, and convinced himself he just didn't like how Prowl - who hadn't showed himself to be any better a student and had run off on his own personal quest - could throw Yoketron's teachings at Lockdown with such apparent righteousness. "It's not the weapon that make the bot, but the bot that makes the weapon." Scrap.

No, it was now, involved in a showdown against a trio of marks at the zero-g core of a major space station, with Marcato broadcasting his manifesto via a hi-jacked, station-wide comm system. The Eurythmans had passed-off the Lead-sulfide to some Nebulan named Galen - what his Council planned to use such a quantity for Lockdown didn't know - in exchange for what sounded like some kind of political favor. Lockdown hadn't cared to wait to see what Galen answered, but sprung his own trap. 

It had worked, too, at least so far as he'd gotten the three where he wanted them. Their intel hadn't suggested Marcato had such technical knowledge, but maybe that could be tallied as oversight during the time Lockdown had apparently been off his game. Allegra'd had a whole lot of tech in the room where he'd met her. 

If he _had_ lost something, Lockdown had it back now. He was calling the shots, and Slipstream wasn't ranting about any mistakes, and Soundwave wasn't improvising elaborate coverstory. Lockdown had seen Octavian and Lacrimosa position themselves to defend Marcato. Lacrimosa had begun throwing out lengths of fabric attached to her clothing, and Lockdown had remembered Allegra's warning about hypnotic ability. Seemed logical to send Soundwave. He wasn't as powerful in his holomatter avatar, but if any of them had a chance it was him. Slipstream he'd needed to go after Octavian, because if his noise cancelling and sonic attacks posed a threat to Soundwave, one accused of riding Starscream's wake into Decepticon hierarchy must be able to use disruptions in the air to advantage.

They'd listened to him. Sure, he caught them gesturing to each other in agreement, but they'd both done what Lockdown said he needed done. That left the primary bounty head for Lockdown, which was just the way he liked it. Didn't even _need_ upgrades or the arsenal back in his shell. His _moves_ had never been what Yoketron criticized, and, Lockdown still had 'em.

He hopped to a railing and launched himself through the interior toward a video billboard on which Marcato's brown face with fuzzy chin-stripe rapped and sang his political agenda: 

"No one's gonna take me alive  
The time has come to make things right  
You and I must fight for our rights  
You and I must fight to survive"

Lacrimosa's sleeves and sashes flowed through the air, hypnotizing onlookers into doing her bidding, but Soundwave seemed unaffected and well able to catch her strands of fabric and use them against her. 

Octavian used a combination of vocal and electronic instruments against Slipstream, but she only advanced on his position propelled by series of slight movements. 

Seeing this, Lockdown pushed off the billboard at a specific angle, aiming for Marcato's position. Martial arts in microgravity was its own thing, but there were plenty combos that pushed or pulled an opponent toward the next body surface with which a practitioner intended to strike. You had to keep your opponent in your _space_. 

It was easy. Marcato was a lot more political radical than fighter. A few grappling holds combined with sharp strikes disabled him. Shame really, Lockdown thought, he would have welcomed a challenge. 

Slipstream and Soundwave subdued their own opponents. Soundwave had to fight off a few hypnotized visitors - some basic but direct street fighting moves - looked like they recovered their own minds when Lacrimosa was held still. Lockdown thought Seekers were usually weak when it came to servo-to-servo combat, but Slipstream did all right playing it defensive until she found the window of opportunity she wanted.

Getting the three Eurythmans to the Death's Head wasn't any more difficult. Job had gone real smooth. But maybe that was because Lockdown understood what Yoketron had been trying to tell him. "You have to rely on whatever sparks you have inside," and, "Lockdown fails to understand."

In some languages, "you" could be plural.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Up to 150 hits. :)


	21. Twenty-One

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> On the way to Eurythma, Slipstream accompanies Lockdown as he responds to a request from Swindle, and they meet the salesmech on Nexus Zero in Vok Territory.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: combine "setting" and "challenge" type prompts from list.  
> setting: "An uncomfortable place at dawn"  
> challenge: combine two other prompts from specific lists  
> -image [[a mosaic photo of starscapes from each hemisphere](http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap110730.html)]  
> -song [Led Zeppelin - Kashmir](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sfR_HWMzgyc)
> 
> Also, this chapter's got more edits than average, compared to the speed-written version. I'd stopped to research and fact-check Vok, and merchandise for Swindle so much that I used up a lot of time not-writing.

If it were up to Slipstream, they'd leave and forget Swindle. But Lockdown had succumbed to the promise of a preview of the dealer's latest haul. And, the fact that he _should_ have been on his way to prison with two of her brothers had Slipstream's attention.

She watched Lockdown drop down from the airlock onto the fog-shrouded surface, tires thudding onto cyberformed substrate, which matched the look of the distant - but just alien - buildings. He strutted off as if he weren't nervous at all.

Slipstream wasn't so sure about this place. She'd never been to Nexus Zero; this was her first trip away from the Solar System. She only had basic pre-installed data. Robotic world, near the galactic core, and the only place in Vok territory that outsiders were permitted to visit. She knew less about Vok, except they were supposed to be weird energy beings.

Swindle "guaranteed" they were nice creatures.

Slipstream finally stepped from the airlock. She almost fired thrusters to make a slow decent, but she wasn't quite sure what composed the fog or whether thruster fire could ignite it. She landed a bit awkwardly, weight more on her left leg than her right, but nothing was damaged.

"You gonna take all solar cycle?" Lockdown called back.

Slipstream clutched at the edge of her cape, then ran forward, heels _click-clacking_ , to meet Lockdown.

Not that she _needed_ him, or anyone to protect her. She was a Decepticon Sub-Commander. Still this place was very _otherly_. The planet was just turning their location toward the local star, and there was a glow on the horizon, but being so close to the core, with its density of stars, there were already bright points of light illuminating their way. That was normal enough: Stars.

The weird thing was that there were points of light _in_ the fog. It created an optical illusion in which the horizon was lost in some directions. Sky and ground seemed a unified field of lights against the darkness, everything softened by fog of nebulae and atmospheric dust. She could imagine Seekers crashing to the surface when attempting to navigate by dead reckoning.

"Have you met Vok?" Slipstream asked. Casual, right? She sounded casual and not like some youngbot cloned yesterday.

"Yeah. Interesting critters." Lockdown consulted a holo projection on his gauntlet then altered their direction. Slipstream could see a structure ahead through the starlit fog.

Slipstream stooped and lowered her talons into a fog bank; she watched the vapor swirl around her digits in chaotic whorls and eddies. She quickened her steps to catch-up, again, as she lifted her hand to her mouth to test the moisture's composition.

Not flammable. That was useful. Still, the stuff could be Vok excrement for all she knew. Slipstream wasn't sure how energy beings worked. She imagined they were like sparks without shells.

And, some of those points of light along the horizon were growing larger and brighter, like distant luminaries moving closer. Radar sweeps were pointless, if they didn't reflect the waves. Soundwave had said the planet wasn't "quiet", as it seemed, but "loud with inaudible signals". He'd seemed quite content with guard duty.

A voice called out, "Hello, Friends! Come take a seat. The energon here is top shelf!" Swindle. Slipstream didn't actually know him, but Starscream had. They climbed a short flight of steps, which again, were difficult to see in the foggy ground cover. She was navigating half by instrumentation.

Swindle was seated at what seemed an outdoor cafe table. Slipstream could see the establishment across the open plaza. Dawn hadn't yet cleared the fog, but lit everything in a pale, white glow. That and the sparse population made the place seem like someone's fictional rendering of the afterlife. "How is my favorite customer?" Swindle asked, as Lockdown dropped into a seat."

"Feeling good," Lockdown answered, "Did a full overhaul, disassembled everything, switched out a few mods, lubed all the joints." He rolled his neck as if to demonstrate. "So, you want off this rock or not? 'Cause I told ya, I got bounties to collect."

"Patience, my bounty-hunting friend," Swindle said. "I've only just started my meal. Can't fault a bot for wanting some fuel after being stasis and mode-locked so long."

"So, how did you escape?" Slipstream asked, standing still, with arms folded in front of her cockpit.

"Interesting story, that, which I'll be happy to tell." Swindle smiled up at Slipstream, clearly assessing her with his curious, purple optical lenses. "Since when did you have your own Starscream clone?"

"Trix-"

Slipstream cut-off Lockdown. "What Captain Hook means to say is that I'm not _with_ him, we just happen to be traveling with _each other_."

Lockdown shifted in his seat and Slipstream noted his sidewise glance. OK, so they'd been together in _some_ ways, but it wasn't like a serious thing or anything Swindle needed to know. Just, like, healthy team-building activities. She lightly kicked his foot.

"Shame." Swindle cocked his head and Slipstream thought she heard a faint _cha-ching_ sound. "A few Starscream clones could really be an asset."

"Like the two who should have been in transit with you?"

"Right. The one with the helmet and the other one." Swindle made some gestures around his head, which Slipstream didn't fully understand. Ramjet and Sunstorm should have been identical in build. "Ah! I have something for you. Free of charge, one time only!"

Swindle opened a compartment in his chest, and began pulling out wares. There was a weapon, some round thing, a bottle containing liquid, a crown, and then he paused, a helmet in one hand and a pair of spectacles in the other. He seemed to consider before saying, "Lady's choice."

Slipstream started to reach for the specs, because she didn't have any, but then, she didn't _need_ any. The helmet _was_ attractive and unlike the one Starscream wore, but a little out of fashion with how angular and pointy it was.

"Let me tell you about the Prysmosian 3X Googlespecs," Swindle went into a practiced pitch, "built-in datanet connectivity, wireless sync to all your personal devices, but that's not all! Guaranteed shatter, scratch and impact resistant, may melt in the atmosphere of gas giants."

Slipstream took the helmet, then stepped away to try it for size. When she turned back, Lockdown was holding the specs at arm's length, as if trying to see what Slipstream would look like wearing them.

He lowered his hand then turned his head away, but Slipstream could still hear a few of the words, "...take...my tab."

"Oh, do I see more customers?" Swindle asked brightly.

Slipstream spun around - subspacing her original helmet beneath her cape - and saw the glowing forms rise up from the fog. These had to be Vok. They sorta glowed and floated and when near resolved into the shapes of faces. Or heads? They were _different_.

"More Cybertronians." Slipstream wasn't sure she was _seeing_ them right. One looked like a skullish thing with small teeth and some horns. The other one was skullish, but had bigger teeth and was also kinda dragonish.

"Hi?"

"Colloquial greeting," Skull said, if the amused lilting was sound at all.

"Non-universal," Dragon said.

"Merchant is always welcome," Skull went on, while Dragon floated around Slipstream as if trying to view her from all sides. "A hunter. Not seeking quarry here?"

"Not here," Lockdown answered quickly.

"What is it?" Slipstream flinched, Dragon was so close to her. "It carries artifacts."

She almost reached for her chest to cover the AllSpark fragment. "I'm not some 'it', not a _thing_!"

"We must plan to improve translation protocols."

"All plans will come to fruition, in time." Dragon agreed. Slipstream could hear Lockdown chuckling at the scene, but these Vok clearly lacked the concept of personal space. "What is your pronoun of preference?"

"I don't mind 'she'," That was how she always said it on Earth.

Dragon's entire glowing figure moved, like the floating head was nodding. "Mechological differences as gender analogues."

"Blue breasted. Hip-span."

"Thinks outside the box," Dragon _seemed_ to correct Skull.

"Whatever," Slipstream twisted to avoid contact, "I just _am_. Do Vok usually move all close together?"

"Cybertronian shells require physical space. Shells cannot merge without phase technology."

"Did I hear someone say 'phase technology'?" Swindle asked. "I just so happen to know a supplier of Phase Displacement Armor!"

Slipstream was relived to have the Vok go hover over Swindle and finally took a seat at the table. She found Lockdown was watching her, as if amused, and did her best to ignore him. She took a rust stick from Swindle's platter and popped one end in her mouth. She grabbed the weapon he had on the table, next. Lockdown was still watching. "What!?"

"You even know how to use a melee weapon?" 

She shrugged. 

"Could show you."

"Bet you could." She quipped, "Practice meditation one cycle and suddenly you're taking students?" She and Soundwave had seen that. Lockdown's expression said he hadn't known.

Just as suddenly, Slipstream had Swindle's interest, "Would you believe the S1w gunblade sells for the low, low price of 960 credits? Combination assault rifle and double-edged blade, favored by stalkers, infiltrators and spec-ops, for those times when a gun just isn't quiet enough."

"Does it come in violet?"

"Does it come in _violet_?! Tell you what! I'll make you a deal! Same low price, and I'll throw in Electronic Paint so you can alter weapon color!"

"Sure." Slipstream was sure she had some of Starscream's accounts in memory.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, Slipstream and Lockdown purchased:  
> -Prime/Aligned Slipstream's black helmet  
> -TF Legends Slipstream's signature weapon  
> -All Spark manga Starscream's spectacles


	22. Twenty-Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Laserbeak records and edits together all the drama, plotting, and sex parts of the present leg of their journey

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: Scenario: taking part in a fly-on-the-wall style documentary
> 
> Laserbeak selected these songs for his soundtrack:   
> [The Cure - Where the Birds Always Sing](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OQd01bO0OLg)  
> [The Cure - Burn](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hyr5WdrEvGI)
> 
> [Laserbeak probably appreciates a movie set in Detroit about a bird helping a guy come back from certain deactivation to exact revenge.]

**Hab Suite - Standard video**

Ratbat drops boxes of organic food pellets down upon the three Eurythmans huddled together on the floor. "Part of a complete breakfast!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

**Bridge/Workshop - Soft Filter**

Slipstream is seated cross-legged upon Lockdown's operating table, wearing spectacles and leaning over a datapad. "Oh! Thanks! I didn't _know_ I was reading _I'm My Own Me_! I _so_ needed Prysmosian Googlespecs to go online and alert me to that fact! It's not like I have the data RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME!"

Soundwave speaks from out of frame, "Modes: adjustable. Spectacles: not required."

Slipstream turns and aims a smouldering glance over her specs, just off center. Video zooms to close-up. "But do I _look_ authoritative?"

"Always. Commander."

Slipstream shrugs. She turns again to view the datapad. "Besides, they were a gift."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

**Cargo Bay - Image Intensification/Monochromatic video**

Lockdown and Swindle are seated at portable, transforming table and chairs, playing a game of chance and drinking straight energon. 

"You know, I still have a few of those protoforms left," Swindle says.

"Quiet about that." Lockdown takes a swig of energon. "Your turn."

"Dealer swaps one card." A zoom of the lens reveals that Swindle actually draws two cards. "What do you think it takes? CNA sample?"

"I _think_ it's a bad idea. Give me two. Dunno why you want _more_ Starscreams. Don't need 'em with the arsenal you're packing." Swindle slides two cards across the tabletop.

"I know I'm sexy, but Seekers _look_ imposing. Could get a fresh sample from that one-"

"No!" Lockdown scratches his hook against his jaw as he studies his hand.

"Have it your way! Don't need _her_ , but what's she doing here? Or the other one? Thought you worked alone."

"I do." Several beats. "Clones had a bounty on them."

"Rather missed the window to turn her in, My Friend."

"Doesn't matter. Got what I was looking for." Another swig.

"I'm in for 100." Swindle moves chips. 

"I'll...see that and raise 50." 

"It's the variant frame."

"They're useful in a fight. Kid- Soundwave's probably packing as much as _you_ , 'cept it's all _virtual_."

"No one is armed like _I_ am!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

**Hab Suite - Active Infra Red/Monochromatic video**

Something small moves on the surface of the lowest recharge berth. A length of fabric disguises its shape, but organic fingers and hair can be seen at some edges. 

**Switch to thermal imaging/false color video**

There are a pair of organic bodies beneath the cloth, hottest at the core, where they join, with secondary hotspots approximately at the throat. The organics repeat rocking movements as their throats flare brightly.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

**Bridge/Workshop - soft filter**

Soundwave holds Ratbat in his keytar form, playing a heavily synthesized melody. Slipstream is lounging in the Captain's chair, watching Soundwave play. "This is how you make others comply? With Ratbat?"

"Ratbat not required: with you," Soundwave tones.

"No. The infrasonics just _highly encourage_ positive response."

"Responses: your choice."

Slipstream straightens in the chair. She shakes her head. "I mean, it's not like you _make_ me do anything, but it's not like a _serious_ decision, if I _seem_ to react positively to you. It's just logical, right? Like _sometimes_ giving assistance to an ally. Like bonding between team mates, so we work better together. That's _normal_! You know. If you're going to fly in close formation with others you have to really be in sync."

"Negative. Soundwave: Not a flier. Slipstream: finds close bonds with teammates desirable." Soundwave holds Ratbat, without playing.

"What? You have two little fliers _linked_ to you. You must know. It's not- doesn't _have_ to be desire! You just require a certain level of sync and familiarity."

"Soundwave: peripheral to Slipstream?" Ratbat transforms and perches atop Soundwave's shoulder.

"I guess. That makes it sound like you're _just_ some device. You know, right? There are things you understand."

"Acknowledged. Slipstream also understands. If Megatron is located?"

"Uncertain. My ability to command is the same, but without my brothers, it is not as noticeable or necessary."

"Your leadership not restricted to Seekers, Commander." Ratbat flies to Slipstream's arm and perches upon it. 

"I didn't know what Megatron was to you, when I pulled rank." Slipstream pets Ratbat as she speaks, "I _know_ we both share a cause, but I do not believe you would be happy to follow me into Megatron's command, any more than I'd want you to _encourage_ me to follow Starscream."

"Affirmative. Soundwave: yours to command. Minions: agreed. Sync and familiarity: effective. Desire: superfluous. Cause: shared."

Slipstream smiles; it is almost a smirk. "Your loyalty is sincerely appreciated, Soundwave. One could not want more in a Decepticon lieutenant. But, if there _were_ a _little_ desire, that would be a separate matter."

"I-" Soundwave begins to speak, tone dropped from his vocalizer, but the video cuts abruptly here.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

**Cargo bay - Image intensification/Monochromatic video**

Soundwave enters from corridor as Swindle and Lockdown are in midst of argument. Lockdown's fist strikes the table, the imapact toppling stacks of chips. "You slaggin' cheat!"

Swindle raises his hands in gesture of innocence or surrender. "Me? Cheat you? Thought you knew me better!"

Soundwave places a hand on Lockdown's spiked shoulder guard. "Captain's presence required on bridge," he tones. "Soundwave will play with our guest."

Lockdown chuckles. "Fine by me."

Swindle laughs. "Name's Swindle!" Wide smile. "Always happy to make the acquaintance of a new customer- friend!"

"A most trustworthy name." Soundwave takes a seat just as Lockdown vacates the portable chair. 

"Isn't it though?" 

"Explain this game," Soundwave tones.

Lockdown plants his hand on Soundwave's shoulder as he leans over to speak. "You two should get along famously. You watch this one, Kemosabe."

"How do you feel about Praxus Hold-em?"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

**Bridge/Workshop - Active Infrared/Monochromatic video**

Lockdown sways like the ship's banking under him as he enters the bridge. Slipstream is at the worktable with her back to the room. "You send for me?" Lockdown asks.

Slipstream turns and regards Lockdown through her spectacles. "You're overcharged."

"You're hot!"

"I rest my case."

Lockdown leans over the surface of the slab, gazing at the Seeker. "Say something science-like."

Slipstream smirks. Ratbat, perched on the shelves displaying mods flaps his wings. She waves at the bat. "Exothermic." Then, "We're nearly to Eurythma. So, c'mon, you can work off the charge polishing my wings." She deposits cloth and polish on the table, then vaults to its top. 

Lockdown makes a salute. "Yes, Ma'am!"


	23. Twenty-Three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lockdown returns his bounty heads to Eurythma only to be met by protest and demonstration from opposing Eurythman political parties.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: Setting: A Public Protest. 
> 
> Further inspiration from [Queen vs T. Rex - We Will Rock The Revolution (Mash-up by PiotreQ)](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d3WbcaMJXL4)
> 
> Marcato's speech is made up of a bunch of lyrics.

As on their last visit, Lockdown followed all local procedures when landing on Eurythma. Besides that, he had called ahead to confirm he'd secured Marcato. So when the Death's Head made it's final approach to the capitol's spaceport, it was obvious a vast crowd of Eurythmans had gathered to greet the three political radicals, as Allegra described them. And by the time they landed, it was apparent not all Eurythmans were agree on whether these "radicals" were really far off center within local politics. The crowd was made up of supporters for the heir and his compatriots, as well as what they were terming conservatives and traditionalists. 

The chants, songs, and revolutionary dance literally rocked the Death's Head. It was necessary for all the Cybertronians to don some manner of dampening against the specific vibrations of the Eurythman harmonics. Swindle had a negatronic forcefield, and Soundwave's minions had been stored on a recharge berth; the rest were obliged to wear cloth garments.

"You see your efforts make no difference?" Marcato asked. Unlike Allegra, he switched between sung and spoken cadence.

"Does for me if I'm paid," Lockdown said carelessly. 

"A known bounty hunter," Marcato noted, "but we should expect Decepticons to understand our cause, for all their datanets claim themselves as freedom fighters."

"We _are_ freedom fighters," Slipstream insisted, "Or presence here is personal. The faction still believes in regaining our homeworld from Autobot control. It's not like we have quarrel with you Eurythmans, or anyone in the Republic."

"All music and dance worthy art," Soundwave added.

Lacrimosa made a slight nod at that. 

Lockdown opened the airlock and then hopped down, turned and activated a second control to extend a series of small steps, allowing the smaller organics to climb down to ground level without assistance. Slipstream and Soundwave waited for the Eurythmans to disembark. 

When Ben Marcato was seen, the crowd hummed and trilled in a great voice of pro and con. He raised his arms in greeting, as if returning victorious and not in custody of a bounty hunter. And for all they knew, he was. None of Lockdown's present company knew just why Marcato and his partners had gone to efforts to gain some favor from Nebulos, which was also the capitol system and planet of the Nebulan Republic of which Eurythma was only part. 

Allegra and Zebop Skandana, the other two members of the governing triumvirate, arrived escorted by guards dressed in green. They sang a formal greeting in harmony, and then continued in a duet that thanked the hunter and his allies for bringing Basso Profundo's errant heir back to their homeworld.

The Marcato supporters shifted to the forefront, pressing bodily against onlooking citizens and traditionalist politicians both, and even advancing physically on the green-clad law enforcers. They swung dark streamers, which seemed representative of Bailar Lacrimosa's hypnotic _danse macabre_ , rang gongs, and blew on various pipes and horns. Even these radicals and revolutionaries did not hold placards as in some cultures, but showed support through united vocalizations and coordinated stomping, clapping, and waving. 

Marcato rushed from the surrounding guard and climbed up onto a vehicle so that he could be seen above the crowd. He addressed them in a form of rhythmic spoken word that the bots having been to Detroit considered alike to Rap. 

"You and I must keep the cause alive  
The time has come to make things right  
You and I must fight for our rights  
You and I must fight to survive" he said, similar to before, to his supporters. 

Bailar Lacrimosa and Zenith Octavian began to clap and stomp in time to Marcato's words. Their supporters followed suit.

And then, "They won't fool the Children of the Revolution!  
No, they won't fool the Children of the Revolution!"

"We will!  
We will rock you!  
Sing it!"

Marcato's supporters sung out, "We will, we will rock you! We will, we will rock you!"

"We're talkin''bout a revolution!" Marcato called out, "We need to fight for our right to party!"

The crowd chanted, "Mar-ca-to!" with accompanying _stomp - stomp - clap_. 

Now, there was some opposition from the other political party, with hum of stringed instruments and high-pitched vocal harmonies in a ancient dialect. 

A group of Marcato's supporters broke through the line of guards entirely and jogged to the vehicle upon which he stood. Marcato threw himself down spread-eagled, and was caught by his supporters and ferried along the road upon their hands and shoulders.

Allegra sang to her squad of guards, commanding they follow. Zebop, the remaining member of the triumvirate and a pink Eurythman with yellow hair, stayed near the Death's Head, as the nearest onlookers and guards moved to follow Marcato and Allegra.

Soundwave moved from the ship enough that his view of the retreat of Allegra and Marcato remained unobstructed.

"Was all that to do expected?" Lockdown asked, "Could have made a stealthier approach, if I had warning."

Skandana communicated in the customary sung manner, "With or without fanfare Ben Marcato is Chosen~ Qualified to perform the late Profundo's part of our harmonies is Marcato~! The triumvirate must be maintained~ Our way of life preserved~ Our song continued~ Even if the lyric is changed~"

At this, Swindle stepped out to approach Skandana. "Name's Swindle. I'm something of a- businessmech. Sounds like you could use some state of the art sound gear. Have I ever told you about the Sonic Jammer 3000? No, of course not! But-"

"Ease off," Lockdown said, stepping up to Swindle's side. "I got some business to complete myself."

Skandana sang to him, "Even now, your payment is being transferred~ Your reward for a job well done is on its way~"

"Nice doin' business with ya." Lockdown didn't hesitate to access data on his gauntlet holo-display. 

"So, Skandana, may I call you Zebop? Listen, Zebop," Swindle said, and put a hand to the smaller being's back to guide him away. "How many times have you thought to yourself 'if only there were some way to silence the opposition'?"

"Either of you have accounts you want me to transfer to? Or you want hard currency?"

"How does one even set-up an account with a galactic bank?" Slipstream asked. 

Lockdown scrubbed his face. "All right," he said then, "how about we go into the city for a while, being we're here, visit a bank, maybe get a few drinks, dance, celebrate a job well done?"

"Soundwave: enjoys dancing."

"Know you do," Lockdown said. 

"I suppose, so long as we don't start hallucinating, again."

Lockdown chuckled. "I saw you caught onto the coverings. You can build something of an immunity, or get used to it, after a while.

They were agreed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I didn't use the full 2 hrs of "speedwriting" time for this chapter, mostly, in this case, because when I was finished with the first scene, I didn't think I could get much of a second scene done in the remaining time. And, a second scene would go beyond the prompt. 
> 
> Over 160 hits. I know that's not thousands, but it means there are a few readers. I'm happy with that. 
> 
> And, given the speedwriting challenges I use for this fic, it's admittedly pretty choppy and varied. If a reader did want to know more about something going on, I'd be OK with requests for side fics or the like.


	24. Twenty-Four

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Supposedly celebrating their successful job, on Eurythma, Lockdown, Soundwave, and Slipstream are curiously introspective and worrying over the past...and current events.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompts: "So close..." + [Linkin Park - Somewhere I Belong](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gcs5PRxEXq4) (literally on the first, thematically on the second. feel the need to note this for some reason.)

Lockdown waited in the Eurythman version of an oilhouse, which was something like sports bars he'd heard of on Earth, except without the sports and with a lot more music. Soundwave would probably understand better, he thought. Slipstream and their boxy companion were supposedly on their way, after one last errand in the city. It gave Lockdown time to think as he sipped oil. He'd been doing that a lot, lately. That and meditating, which was more not-thinking, but just as likely to cause his processor to stick on old memories.

It wasn't regret, he told himself. Hardest decision he'd ever had to make was still that same one. Others might have offered opportunity or suggested timing, but Lockdown fully accepted the choice of betraying the Corps as his own. The decision to reject the system of control that felt like restraint, the spiritual crud, the constant demeaning of his worth - all that had been fully conscious and intended. 

That was not in question. He'd even do it all again. The question, because there was one, was why he _now_ clung even more to those teachings. Kids were right. They'd been on the Death's Head long enough. They knew his taste in mods and trophies. They knew what holochips and datapads he kept through his transient life. They knew his moves. Lockdown was what was usually termed a bounty hunter, but he was in all but name a ninja. 

A couple things Slipstream had said, in particular, had been nagging at his processor. There was something she'd said, a while back about teamwork. She'd said it was an Autobot idea, but one she approved of. She'd said it worked for Optimus Prime. Lockdown sorta got her point. He'd seen Grapplers and his team take down Starscreams. He'd seen upclose how Grapplers and Nunchaku had taken down Ramjet. Slag, those were nice grapplers. 

Lockdown hadn't really _agreed_ with the jet, maybe not until she and Wave helped him take Marcato and his compatriots into custody. Sparks! Fraggin' _sparks_! Wasn't enough, apparently to rely solely on one's own spark, but to _understand_ its nature and the nature of others, and how talents and temperaments complimented each other. 

And if Lockdown had been the one who was wrong in misunderstanding that- Well, he wasn't wrong about leaving the Corps, or about confronting his former master. But he'd started meditating again, as if it would somehow bring clarity or enlighten him on how bad an idea it was to keep the kids around. 

"So close...." He voiced quietly, then sipped his oil, as the kids in question entered together. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Soundwave carried the plain, square box under one arm as he entered the oil house at Slipstream's side. They'd finished their banking and shopping errands and were content to meet Lockdown to celebrate the job they'd completed together. There was a curious curve to the bartop, like a low-amplitude wave, so that one end was higher than the other. Lockdown was there. Soundwave tried to fix his attention there. The wondrous sounds coming from everywhere on this planet could still affect him, but it was not so extreme as on his first visit, if he wore the embroidered poncho and consciously constrained his senses to a few points of focus, it became manageable. 

"What's in the box?" Lockdown asked casually, as Soundwave spoke to the bartender.

"What he's having." Soundwave laid the broad side of the thin box to the bartop. "Show you later."

"Your box."

"It's a gift."

Lockdown tipped his head towards Slipstream. She was away from the bar, seemingly scanning the building for points of egress. 

"For you. I might let you open it."

"Yeah?"

"It's cool," Soundwave said. The atmosphere of Eurythma encouraged lowering of the restaint he'd built and tightened further in recent times. Soundwave was aware of it, but this was only semi-conscious. Still true he hadn't Slipstream's particularly volatile temper, but he had the potential to _feel_ greatly, to empathize and react to inputs around him, and maybe, he even feared he would be lost if he let go. 

Lockdown leaned weight into Soundwave's shoulder. "Should we open it here?"

Soundwave stepped ever so closer to Lockdown. "Go on." He watched as Lockdown deftly used his hook to pry open a narrow end of the box. The object inside was cushioned by a kind of spun wire. 

"Could probably make something of this stuff," Lockdown said as he dug the gift from its packaging. It was broad, metal, and circular, with a few smaller pieces intended to complete assembly. "It's a gong."

"This one is Eurythman Meditation Gong," Soundwave explained, "They have something similar on Earth, but not this metal." He felt awkward as Lockdown seemed to study the gift. Maybe, Soundwave thought, his data analysis had been lacking, and Lockdown would not appreciate this gift. 

"On Cybertron, too. The gongs- they're supposed to alter your vibratory frequency. Help you find or restore balance. Resonate with the vibrations of the universe or some scr- I mean-" Lockdown lifted his hand and stroked the side of Soundwave's helmet. "Thank, Wave."

"The theories are sound."

Lockdown laughed, understanding his pun. It made Soundwave smile behind his mask. 

"You-" Lockdown put an arm around Soundwave to pull him close. Soundwave leaned against him, senses alert for a sign he'd be pushed away. Soundwave wanted this: thoughtless casual touches that signified familiarity. Data. He still wanted that, but he was not sure whether he could have that without the rough, passionate contact that Lockdown seemed to share with others. Touching made all other input more intense, and Soundwave shied from it. 

He was not rough, passionate, and commanding. Just Soundwave. A rockstar, maybe, but not anything like a political leader or warlord. Just a competent, faithful lieutenant. He wanted to understand how his cowboy could fit with the commander and him. "So close...."

"Too much?" Lockdown's voice was low. Soundwave still adored the rasp and gravel of his voice.

"Good. Enough for now."

"All right," Lockdown said easily. He rubbed the top of Soundwave's helmet once more, then stepped to the side. 

"If you ask nicely, she might dance with you."

For a nanoklik Lockdown seemed startled, but his expression shifted to amusement as his optics scanned the interior.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Slipstream didn't know if this place was more oil house or dinnerclub, with its bar and low-volume overhead news screens, with its dance floor lit by crystalline chandeliers. Either way, she'd determined there were at least three exits one her size could take if needed. It was safe. 

The house band didn't side with Marcato's new forms of expression, but played various orchestral instruments, only a few of which corresponded to those she knew from Earth or memory. It was lively, but sort of Ethereal Musicbox to her thinking. 

"You wanna dance?"

Slipstream smiled, slightly. She wasn't opposed, but Lockdown needed to ask more nicely. "That supposed to be an invitation?"

Lockdown inclined toward her and extended his hook, "Would you please honor me with a dance, Slipstream?"

"Well since you asked so politely, I guess I will."

"Just guess?" OK, he kinda had her there, not that she particularly liked being beat at her own game.

"Oh, I'd be _delighted_ ," she ground out.

"You sound delighted." He made that annoying, amused chuckle. She felt his hand on her side and then his hook nudging her hand. So...she didn't really _know_ this form of dance. "All you have to do is _follow_ ," he said, stepping forward as he lightly increased pressure against her side. "Imagine you should be able to manage that, if you can fly in formation."

She was going to manage if it killed her! She bowed her head to study his steps.

"No. Optics to optics. When I want you to move, you'll feel it."

"Moving _away_ ," she said, but she lifted her gaze then stepped back, then to one side.

He laughed it off. "There ya go. Guess it's true Seekers are light on their feet."

Slipstream pressed her lips together. "Oh, no more than a Cyber-ninja, I imagine."

"If you're into 'Bots," He frowned. He lifted his hook and somehow got her to spin.

She only made a slight misstep in spinning back toward him. Slipstream glared. "That seems yet to be determined. There's not a 'Con protoformed into a frame like _that_. Besides, there'd be a price on _your_ head if you'd ever taken the brand then defected."

He didn't answer for a while, but his steps were tense, and it actually worried Slipstream. A little. "Bot can't help how they were protoformed. Expect present company to understand something like that."

"True. We're just made that way. Can take a lot of work to distinguish ourselves. Body work or otherwise."

Lockdown grinned wide at her as he pressed her into a turn, "Yet to be determined sounds like I still have a chance." Slipstream was only half listening, because the turn had put one of the overhead screens in her line of sight and she _knew_ that gold and red Omega Sentinel! She pulled Lockdown's hand from her waist, and pulled him after her. 

"You! Can you increase volume there? Is that sourced from _Cybertron_?" 

"That's Cybertron all right," Lockdown agreed. For some reason he was squeezing her hand, or she was his. Slipstream didn't know. 

Shockwave. Magnus Hammer. Ratchet. Organics. Omega Supreme. Abducted Autobot. Shots fired from fortress Maximus on one of the Autobot's greatest war assets. This had just _happened_. "We were _so_ close...."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I realize the amount of stuff that happens seems much to all be happening concurrent with the later part of Season 3, but this is the intention. Think of it as somewhat AU if you must, but it's also not always clear how much time elapses between episodes. That is to say, the news broadcast they view reflects the events of "This is Why I Hate Machines".


	25. Twenty-Five

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lockdown attempts to, figuratively, bare his spark to Slipstream, before she can fly off to the Decepticons, but it doesn't quite go as he planned. Slipstream needs to vent her frustration, when some red bot flies by.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompts: The last chance to speak up before pivotal event + [Linkin Park - In The End](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1yw1Tgj9-VU)
> 
> Contains angst and mod addiction. 
> 
> Takes place within the episode "Endgame Part 1"; the scene with Optimus follows events in the show.

Lockdown piloted the Death's Head on manual control for the final approach to Earth. A few banks and spots of turbulence didn't keep Slipstream from rapidly pacing back and forth behind his Captain's chair. "Anything?" She asked, probably for the thousandth time since leaving Eurythma. 

"Negative," Soundwave reported, an edge of concern leaking through even with the autotuning. "Nothing since contact with Skywarp."

The pacing continued, _clack clang, clack clang, clack clang_. She was making excuses for them, as she had been the entire voyage back to the Solar System. She'd long since begun repeating herself: Maybe they're comms were down, maybe they thought she was offline, maybe they had to go comm silent to avoid Autobots, maybe they thought she'd deserted. 

It was really grating on Lockdown's neural receptors. He didn't see why Slipstream _needed_ the 'Cons. She'd clearly betrayed Starscream. Lockdown hadn't been there, but she'd been on his ship long enough that they new something of each other's stories. Not everything, but enough. Megatron wasn't likely to keep a clone of Starscream around, when he'd repeatedly slagged Starscream himself. The Decepticon warlord wasn't _stupid_. 

"Trix-"

"Just- What's our ETA? And, stop calling me that!" She was in a really bad mood. She'd given up on arguing his nicknames solar cycles ago and started making her own for him, now this again. Lockdown had a bad feeling about this, though he'd agreed to head back to Earth. The pair of 'Con's weren't prisoners, after all. Still, he seriously doubted the Decepticons were going to welcome Slipstream back, especially if Starscream or Megatron were back in charge. Bots didn't likely forgive betrayal; Lockdown knew from experience.

"That there is New York," Lockdown said, indicating the clustering of surface illumination on the forward viewscreen. "Detroit's further along these lakes."

The pacing stopped as Slipstream stepped up beside his chair and really looked at the screen. 

"Slipstream," he used her name, "Don't just fly off."

"You can't keep me."

"Thought we were past fighting that point." Well, maybe they'd never _really_ stop fighting that point, which was all the more reason to talk before she could leave. "Can we just _talk_ , before you go?"

She voiced some exacerbated whine and pivoted to turn her back toward him as Detroit came up below them. "Don't want to talk."

"Yeah, but we need to."

"Fine. Whatever!"

It took a few kliks to choose a vacant lot, land the Death's Head, and engage an appropriate holographic cloak; this time it was an out-of-business recording company. Soundwave's programming.

The rockstar gave a nod to Lockdown, communicating that he understood. Neither of them had needed to say it aloud, but Slipstream was the one that needed help. Lockdown and Soundwave had both had their low moments, on the past job, or on Eurythma, and Slipstream had helped each of them.

Lockdown found her waiting in the corridor, near the airlock, as if she couldn't get away from them fast enough. "You know you _could_ stay." Lockdown quickly thought better and corrected, "I mean, I'm saying I want you to stay." He lifted the hook on his hand to the one she still wore bent round her neck. 

Slipstream turned her face from him. Her answer was quiet. "Why would I?"

"Listen-" Lockdown had practiced parts of this in his CPU, but right now, it all seemed fragmented. "You're free to go, but if you want, you can come back, any time."

"Was there a point here?"

"Would you-!" She was so slaggin' frustrating! "I'm trying to say I like when you're with me. You and Wave could both stay. It could be like it is now. Not being on Cybertron when they showed up is no one's failure. You at least tried to find _them_. You contacted your two missing clones! And whatever they are planning, it obviously doesn't include you! It's _their_ loss!"

"You don't _know_ that!" She looked at him, optics flickering, "I'm not a bounty hunter! I- I _am_ a Decepticon Sub-Commander. It is my duty to report. Just because you don't believe in a cause, doesn't mean we're all like that!"

Somewhere, he'd said the wrong thing. This wasn't how Lockdown wanted it to be. He put hand and hook to her arms and looked Slipstream in the optics. "I believe in _us_!" he said firmly. 

There was a look of open-mouthed surprise, but then she pressed her lips into a frown. "I don't believe you. Since when-?"

"I have been searching my spark trying to understand it! Slag, it, Slipstream, I've been asking myself the same questions. I don't expect you to understand, you didn't know what I was like before. I tried so hard with them, and it seemed all for nothing. But _you_ \- Things are just clearer when you're around. Even when we fight. I'm never going to be a Decepticon, and I can't be an Autobot, again, but I can be _me_ with you."

"Lockdown...."

He wasn't going to let her argue before she heard him out. "I didn't plan this or see it coming. I didn't know it would go so far. Now, I don't want to let you go. The way you rip at armor," He dropped his hook to her sharp digits. "It's _beautiful_. On Torkulon, and when you took on Octavian- You were gorgous in battle. You make me better, stronger. You're clever, and vicious, but you really understand teamwork."

"So, you _like_ me?" Her tone was maddeningly flippant.

"I am trying to bear my fraggin' spark you you! It's _more_ than that. It's like you...and Wave, _you're_ my upgrades."

Slipstream pushed his hand and hook from her. "Do you even _hear_ what you are saying?" Oh, scrap, this sounded like the start of one of her rants. Her voice got shrill. "That I'm not even _me_!? That I'm just some _thing_. Your _trophy-bot_! Some thing that- that plugs _into_ you to make you better!? Do you even get how _wrong_ that is?" Her posture was weirdly hunched, as if she'd lunge at him and claw his spark out. What _had_ he said?

"I didn't mean it like _that_. I just need you _like_ a mod."

Slipstream's voice dropped to a low hiss. "You have a real problem, and I just can't deal with you right now. I can't-" Her vocalizer hitched, "with you like this." She stepped backward toward the airlock and felt for the door control.

"Slipstream, _please_!" She was already flying away. What had he done? Lockdown had only made things _worse_.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Slipstream was in the _worst_ mood. She didn't know what hurt most. Megatron and Starscream being on Luna and not contacting her, the depth of Lockdown's addiction, the fact that it had _shocked_ her, or that some small part of her had _wanted_ to stay?

She felt like her logic circuits were fraying as she flew. Nothing made sense. She couldn't think clearly or process fully what had just happened. She just flew without thinking. Max linear acceleration, so she could throw herself at a wall of compressed air and then break it. The trees bent beneath her path. Then she transformed and just fell. She bent her legs and fired thrusters right before the ground came up at her and landed heavily in a park. 

She kicked at lamp post until the bent and clawed trees until they splintered - a little calico cat hissed from a branch. That the tiny organic could stand up to her at all gave Slipstream a moment's pause, and she stopped taking her anger out on the park. She still felt like she could kill something. 

And that was when she noticed the streak of red in the sky. She was flying after it- him in a nanoklik. It had to be _him_. "Starscream! You've got some nerve showing your wingstruts back here!" 

Slipstream accelerated hard, again, and locked her target. She'd take the loser offline herself! She fired blasters, and detected a hit. The bot twisted in the air and she knew then it wasn't Starscream. He'd never make that kind of awkward twist when he could transform. And, for that matter, Starscream would have been much harder to catch. 

"Wait, you're not Starscream!" Who was it? "You're a...flying Autobot?" There weren't really supposed to be _any_ of those. And, as far as Slipstream could tell, this one was barely a half qualifier. He tumbled head over aft, jetpack smoking, and crashed hard into the river. He sorta looked like Optimus Prime. 

Slipstream transformed and hovered long enough to see if he remained flight worthy, though she doubted it. And, when he didn't surface immediately, she folded herself right back into jet form and sped away. One Autobot was an easy target, but this one and his friends were really, really good at teamwork. 

There was some good from the mistaken identification. She had shot down a Prime on her own. And the target practice had worked out some small amount of her frustration. 

She didn't dare go back to the Death's Head. And Slipstream didn't want to play with Autobots. But, she was in Detroit, and it was familiar territory. She flew towards the lake to see if her boat house remained unoccupied. 

Soundwave was there, waiting. 

"I needed to send Ratbat with Laserbeak to spy on the Autobots."

Slipstream walked inside and dropped to the floor. Ratbat would have been with her otherwise; she understood that. "Optimus Prime has a jetpack, but he should be down for a while."

"They are building something, on Luna, something they needed 'Arcee' for."

Slipstream nodded. 

Soundwave said nothing else, but moved to stand at her side, should she need him.


	26. Twenty-Six

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Detroit is under attack from Megatron's cloned Lugnut Supremes. Denizens react.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: Setting: A world (any city, nation, planet) at war. (In this case Detroit.) 
> 
> With inspiration from [30 Seconds to Mars - This Is War](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6r7KxFIXEZo)
> 
> Contains: Slight language. Sudden use of present tense.

On a Monday Morning. During AM commute. A garbage pick-up day.

"Lester Black reporting from the scene of last nights break-in here at Maramba Brothers Auto Supply, where a giant green construction bot is alleged to- Something is happening." He points and his camera bots turn to record the phenomenon in the sky. Channel 44's newsman motions for one to focus on him, "We are live in downtown Detroit as a terrible trio of behemoth bots is launching an assault-"

~~~~~~~~~

On the freeway, a commuting citizen looks up from his antique, yellow car and sees the missiles flying toward Sumdac Tower. "Oh shit-"

"Dad?" Asks his boy in the booster seat. 

"Hold on, Daniel, we've got to get to Mom and Nancy!" 

~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Trixie? You copy? Slipstream." But she's not answering his comms. Lockdown leaves the Death's Head at a run, appearing from the artist's entrance of a closed recording studio onto a street near Tigatron Stadium. The sound of impacts against forcefield is distinctive and echoing along the city streets. little squishies and their automatons are rushing along walkways and roads alike. 

Two figures, dwarfed by the attackers, fly into the path of the missiles, dodging or disabling each as they are able. "Prowl."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

As Lockdown sends a comm, Soundwave is parked along a street in a rougher section of town, somewhere between the Dancitron nightclub and the nearest Burger Bot. A string of customized street racing vehicles sits behind him, their drivers, still dressed-up from the night before, come out from the fast-food joint to see what's happening. 

"Online," is all Soundwave manages into the comm, because he's acoustically tracking an inbound projectile. He transforms. 

"Hey, hey! Watch the paint job!" One of the organic oppressors says. 

"Affirmative." Soundwave focuses his speakers on the direction of the missile and sounds a low-frequency pulse that concusses against the missile and explodes it mid-air. The little wagon Soundwave assimilated as his alt-form may have been designed in a foreign nation, and sold in another region, but it and he were both made in Detroit. 

"This is Motown, Baby," he tones, as the street racers peel out to seek other shelter. There is no logical tactical advantage in destroying a facility dedicated to the enjoyment of music. 

Soundwave draws Laserbeak from his back. "Operation: espionage. Laserbeak transforms, makes a shrill reply, and then flies away.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

"What are they _thinking_?!" Slipstream demands. And though Ratbat plays a musical trill, the question had been rhetorical. Slipstream realizes she's hovering over a Dino Co. Station - a highly flammable target - and makes slight adjustment of thrusters to carry her to a nearby rooftop. "Why would they _fire_ on the one location with actual strategic value? It's insane. If the forcefield fails, the space bridge is lost to _all_ of us!"

"I need a hero~" Ratbat plays.

"If the Prime wins, I'll probably laugh."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Lockdown tries to keep Prowl in view, but he keeps getting distracted. "Magnus Hammer is one sweet mod," he says, and then frowns. Maybe he doesn't deserve the respect of Prowl _or_ Slipstream. He hadn't _needed_ his mods to take on Marcato.

He leaps out of the way of a stray missile, then turns to see it strike a outer wall of a fortified structure. Alarms sound nearby. Squishies in numbered uniforms stagger from behind the broken wall. "Let 'em go," he says to himself, "Not going to collect fugitives for the _fun_ in it!" 

He could, if he wanted to. Criminals by local law or not, they were probably safer inside the prison. Sirens come from along the street. Let the DPD handle it. Their problem. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Slipstream doesn't like the look of it when the little Cyber Ninja leaves his Prime. Seems like Optimus has taken a level in jetpack, and he is armed with the Magnus Hammer besides. It is _only_ a super-ancient, super-powerful, Cybertronian relic. And the way it seems to command the skies is just divine. 

Slipstream shakes herself as she feels the shift in air pressure on her wings. The vortex is becoming visible, as she grabs Ratbat from the air and pulls the bat against her cockpit. A running jump puts Slipstream on the far side of a stone building. 

A slight sound - enough to be audible against the cacophony - draws her attention downward. An organic in a prison jumpsuit is leaning against the same wall, near the broken window of a shoe store. "Nice boots," she says.

"Thanks? You too." Slipstream can see she's pulling on a tall, dark, and handsome pair of heels now. Debris starts sliding and rolling along the road. "Should duck now." Slipstream crouches, putting Ratbat and the human beneath her, and protects herself only with wings and talons over the back of her neck. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Talk about reaping the whirlwind," Lockdown says over Soundwave's comm, "Did you see that?"

"Affirmative. Supremes now on island where some bots live."

~~~~~~~~~~~

"Me Grimlock not afraid of giant purple robots!" The Dinobot informs his companions. As they watch, two of the Supremes rise and walk back toward the city. 

"Then me Snarl say you go check if it is offline."

"That him Megatron?" Swoop asks.

"Him bad flying robot," Grimlock asserts, "Not nice to other bots, like Spider-lady."

"Or Sari," Snarl says.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Laserbeak reports some Autobots are going to activate space bridge," Soundwave says over comm to Slipstream. "Orders, Commander?"

"Leave them. There's still two of these things left and they move too much in unison to be piloting independently. Stands to reason they are operating under remote. Someone's got to be on Luna still."

"Understood. Control signals detectable but heavily encrypted. Jamming: possibly effective."

"If we _need_ to. We don't want to openly act against Megatron's plan unless we're out of options. There's no going back from that. Without orders, it's probably assumed we're an independent team working toward faction goals. Still, there's no logic in allow pointless destruction of _our_ city, or the planet's only space bridge."

"Acknowledged. Laserbeak will track Elite Guard Autobot designated Jazz." 

"Slipstream out." She continues at street level, with Ratbat hovering nearby. The footfalls of the remaining Supremes thunder through the city, and Slipstream has seen DPD and DFD guiding humans toward Sumdac Tower. Many Automatons seem to be going in another direction. Slipstream suspects Soundwave has been encouraging them toward a safe place, but it isn't something she cares to argue. 

A few organics walk from a music store carrying boxes marked as electronic audio-video equipment. Looters. Taking oil, or a pair of shoes, or some human food is one thing, but this? Slipstream puts one stabilizing servo in their path. "Seriously?" She asks.

"We'll just, uh, put these back," One of them manages to say. 

Then, a pink-haired girl comes from the toy shop next door, carrying some kind of toy cats. "I _need_ these, to defend the city from the icky- boy robots." 

"Then do so. It is _your_ homeland," She glares at those near the music store. "Be glad you have not yet experienced exile, and either defend your city, or take shelter while those who can, do." 

"Yes, uh, Ma'am!"

"You really a _girl_ robot?" Penny asks.

"Got a problem with that?"

"...No."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Oh the humanity!" Newsbot exclaims, as human citizens, some injured, are guided to Sumdac tower by an Autobot. Its camera flashes, its microphone records screams, footfalls, and the groans of weakened structural integrity. The safest shelter is within the most heavily bombarded part of the city. Newsbot scribbles these notes furiously with its small forelimbs. 

"Wait for us!" a man calls; a woman, child and baby with him.

"It's cool," the Autobot says calmly, "There's room for everyone who needs it."

"Watch out!" Another voice calls.

"That building's so not solid," the Autobot says, and leaps toward the endangered humans, but a member of the public sanitation committee makes it there first, transforming from a garbage truck to a big orange robot, and throwing himself over the human family, before the falling masonry can crush them. 

As the smoke clears, the mother of the family can be heard saying, "That was the stupidest, bravest, most wonderful thing!"

"I dare to be stupid~" the sanitation bot says, head reeling from impact with fallen stone. 

Newsbot rushes in as the man says, "You saved my whole family!"

"You just saved this man's entire family, how do you feel?" Newsbot asks.

"I feel like I'm a hero~" Wreck-gar says brightly.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Soundwave looks up. "Megatron." The Decepticon Leader had just joined battle. The Prime and the Cyber-ninja fight against him. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Lockdown watches from a rooftop, viewing the aerial battle through a viewer that provides magnification beyond that of his optics. "Prowl. Takin' on Megatron? Your skills really are improving." Lockdown sees him retreat, as Grapplers takes on the warlord. 

~~~~~~~~~~~

Slipstream looks from the advancing Lugnut Supremes to Megatron and then back. "He can't be processing at full capacity," she says, more disappointed than bitter. "Those Supremes aren't targeting anything of strategic value at all. It's just pointless terrorism. Megatron's so focused on the little Prime, now, does he even know what's going on?"

"A brave new world~" Ratbat plays.

"You're right. This does nothing to gain us Cybertron or the AllSpark. It _might_ be time to fight."

~~~~~~~~~~  
~~~~~~~~~~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It took me two hours to get less than halfway through all the events of Endgame, so rather than extend the chapter posted here, I'm just going to write the next part with some other prompt as a separate chapter. Ratbat even helped me find a song. :)


	27. Twenty-Seven

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The battle within Detroit wages on, with the threat even more immediate as it is discovered someone sabotaged the attacking bots with time bombs.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: Running out of time.
> 
> With inspiration from [Jennifer Saunders - Holding Out For A Hero](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ssVg0vyUD6c)

Lockdown screeches around a corner, trying to keep Prowl in sight as he and Jazz approach the two Lugnut Supremes, one high one low. "Oh, that's not going to work," he says even as Prowl attacks the torso of one of the ridiculously big robots. 

"Slaggin' aim for the legs!" A shrill voice calls and whether he heard it too, or not, Jazz leaps up onto the foot of one Supreme and strikes it with his energy-chucks. 

Something thuds against Lockdown's roof. He can feel the little feet on him. "By Jove, if these Goliaths are yet set on breaching the tower ramparts, then we must need unhorse them!" Lockdown sees the magnetic grappling lines launch toward a lampost. Whether Lockdown wants to help or not, he's got to get out of the way, so he drops the emergency break to spin 90 degrees, then accelerates toward a side street. 

As soon as he's clear, Lockdown transforms, and turns about to see the unfazed, squishy archer tie-off his line atop another lamppost, then drop to the ground. The enormous stabilizing servo catches on the line. It goes taught with an audible _twang_ , but ultimately the weakest link is the lampposts' alloy, which allows them to bend with the direction of the Supreme's movement. It slows, but does not fall.

"We shall press them to the lists yet!"

Laserbeak screeches overhead and Lockdown scans the area to see Prowl and Jazz now retreating toward Sumdac Tower. Lockdown folds back into his altform and gives chase, making sure to tail them from a parallel avenue, so as to avoid the Supremes. 

~~~~~~~~~~~

"We're finito, kaput, done for if we stay here any longer," Samantha reminds her boyfriend. 

"I know," Nino says, "But we can't go out in those jumpsuits." He comes from behind a rack of clothing attired in street clothes, accessorized by a long duster and goggles. "I'm not sorry to see the suit go, but I rather liked the goggles.

"They look smashing, Dear, stylish and functional both, especially if we're to get through this veritable war zone! All these giant robots fighting each other, who's left to save Earth and mankind?"

"Hey, I like the sound of that: Save The Earth And Mankind: STEAM."

"A real snappy slogan, but let's vamoose, split, get outta Dodge. Time's a ticking!" Samantha points to her newly appropriated collection of watches.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Slipstream here," She stalks after the Supreme's with her gunblade drawn, watching for an opening to attack one in the heel, hopefully without being noticed by Megatron or any Autobots.

"Control signal: no longer transmitted."

"Excellent." But, then, why were they still moving? She heard the too-familiar voice. "No!" 

"Commander?"

She can hear the voice, see Megatron turn in the air, and then Slipstream becomes aware of the regularly timed beeps of a countdown. "The fragger!" She cuts her comm and rages, "STAAARSCREEEAM!" but he doesn't seem to actually be here. Slipstream rises up on her thrusters to get an unobstructed view. Megatron: he's not doing anything about the rigged Supremes. He's just fighting the little Prime.

"Soundwave. Not sure how, but Starscream rigged these cloned Supremes with time bombs, and it looks like they are operating independently with his personality. They will destroy the city."

"Can jam signals to prevent premature remote detonation. Options: limited."

"Not sure how much time we have, but it's running out."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"This is why I hate machines!" Carmine lifts his megaphone, which seems to want to jump out of his hand. "OK, people, listen up, these things are still coming closer, so lets start moving to bomb shelters, just as a precaution." Frustrated, he throws down the megaphone automaton and speaks into his police radio. 

"Fanzone here. We just got word that these things are carryin' bombs, now, so go to emergency plan Omega."

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Lockdown hasn't been able to follow Prowl into the tower, so he's climbed up a neighboring building and out onto a billboard to see if he can sight activity in or atop the tower. There. The ninja's are up near the space bridge. Doesn't look like they're activating the bridge; just sitting down. 

"What are you playing at?" Lockdown asks aloud. 

It looks like they're meditating. What would be the point of that? 

A glint of reflected light catches Lockdown's optics and he sees a sliver of crystal float by. Then, another. "P over M. Over this distance? Impressive." Lockdown can spot the points of light that are so many shards floating toward the tower. "Pull the AllSpark back together? But then-" any bots powered by those shards could go offline.

"Slipstream." He tries her comm, but she's obviously still upset with him. "Wave," he tries.

"Here."

"Listen. Get Trix on the comm. Tell her to get away from the city. Now. Her and your pets, if they want to keep their shards."

"Understood." Lockdown has seen enough, and starts his descent to street level.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Starscream!" It's _really_ him this time, and looking somewhat worse for wear. Slipstream transforms and moves to intercept. Soundwave's now pinging her comm as well as Lockdown, but all she sees is Starscream.

She realizes Ratbat is clinging to her dorsal side, just behind her cockpit. "Somewhere after midnight~ A total eclipse of the heart~"

"What?" Slipstream banks away from her pursuit course. She sees it then. She'd been too compromised by emotional subroutines to see her own mistake. Starscream isn't gloating or attacking. He is inexplicably moving opposite direction of thrust and firing blasters at Sumdac tower. She feels it then, and from Ratbat's trill, he does too. "Link-up. Quick." She opens the panel near axillary fuel intake to allow Ratbat to make a hardline connection. It also enables the little bat's claws to hold onto the edge of the opening; this was how they'd flown to and from Grand Central.

Slipstream is already moving toward water, and only accelerates as she feels Ratbat link. "Where's Laserbeak?"

Ratbat sends coorinates.

Laserbeak is already flying away from Sumdac Tower, but Slipstream knows she can move faster. She flips open her canopy as she puts herself just beneath the condor's tail; she scoops the bird into her cockpit. She's accelerating again as soon as the cockpit is sealed.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Down on the streets, a certain member of the public sanitation committee slides forward, drawn by unseen force toward Sumdac Tower. "I'm a city employee!" He protests. Wreck-gar reaches into his pack and draws out a rubber duck. No. He tosses that aside. Magnetic grappling lines he found littering a street with vandalized lampposts? He throws and misses. An anchor?

Wreck-gar lifts the anchor overhead and slams it into the street. It holds, for a while, but the pull starts to lift him off his feet. "This hero needs a hero~" Wreck-gar tries to hold onto his anchor, but his servos are straining, and the anchor starts to give way. 

Lockdown drives around the corner, sees the trash-bot floating away, and nearly hits the anchor. He saves his grill with a quick transformation. Suddenly, he's not sure Prowl in conscious of where all the shards are coming from. Lockdown can understand him wanting the Decepticons off-line, but this bot's a civilian if Lockdown ever saw one. 

"Slag me," he says, "better appreciate me saving you from murdering a bot." He spots the grappling lines. No time to consider if they are the same from before, or how he might use them to upgrade himself. Lockdown grabs the lines and starts spinning the magnetic end as he runs after Wreck-gar.

Capturing bots is what he's good at, right? Lockdown launches the lines up. They lock. Then he starts to slide. Lockdown uses the momentum to get ahead of the bot. He bounds from car roofs, walls, and traffic signs, looking for a place to secure them both. 

A souped-up black wagon speeds beneath them, then transforms. 

"Catch," Lockdown calls.

Soundwave catches the loose end of one of the two lines. He ties-off the end on a fire hydrant, then slowly pulls on the line. Overhead, Lockdown leaps from window ledge to the top of an abandoned box truck. He catches Wreck-gar in his arms and pushes him down. Soundwave takes up the slack and uses it to wrap Wreck-gar's torso.

"Nice roping," Lockdown says.

"Saw it in movies," Soundwave admits.

"Let's all go to the movies~" Wreck-gar sings.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Is big purple robot offline?" Grimlock asks.

"Do you want it to be?" Slipstream asks. The pull seems weak enough here and she's keeping parts of the downed Omega Sentinel between her and the city.

"Flying robots bad."

"It's not really as simple as that," Slipstream tries, but these bots seem kinda dim. "But, I do know there's a bomb inside this one, so you should stay away." 

"Me Grimlock say Girly-bot should stay away also."

"Lets say I'm familiar with the work of the one who made this. It wasn't able to activate when the others did, so maybe I can disarm it." Not to do them a favor, but one large chunk of the island has already gone missing, and besides a working Omega Sentinel could be _really_ useful.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Soundwave watches the gold and red Supreme kick the purple one. It seems to disable the bomb, as Soundwave's within sight and still standing. That leaves one, still advancing, and very close to both Megatron and the flying Prime. Whatever the Autobots hope to accomplish with the AllSpark, they better do it soon. The tower forcefield is already failing, and Soundwave can hear the beeps of the time bomb continuing to count down.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's at least one more chapter just to get through events of Endgame. But, then, I think this fic is about done. However, I'd like to write some kind of sequel that takes place during season 4, or what we know of plans for that season. That'll be a big project, so I might not employ the speed writing next time. Feedback on that idea?


	28. Twenty-Eight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As a self-sacrifice assures the future of Detroit, survivors must put the past behind them and choose the course of their own future.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: Lay my ghosts to rest 
> 
> With Inspiration from: [Skillet - Awake and Alive](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pnKbB-uwaw0)
> 
> Back to past tense

First, the summoning of AllSpark shards ceased. No one knew why, until later, except for Jazz. Then, a powerful field surrounded the sole, functioning Starscream Supreme, along with Megatron and Optimus Prime. Few witnessed this, as most humans and automatons both had taken to indoor, even underground, shelters. The Autobots were there to see it. A few of the cities many camerabots captured what they were able. Lockdown was there along with Soundwave. Wreck-gar was there, coming after the others, as the pull had stopped and his arms were yet pinned to his torso with cables. Some few humans who had tried to defend their city rather than hide were there. None of them would likely forget what they saw.

Something allowed Optimus Prime through the field. Some later would say they saw a light there, or the shape of something. It was not until much later, when Jazz would arrive, that any would give the mysterious force a name.

By then, they would see the explosion contained within the field, and as it dissipated, smoke. 

When Jazz came down from the tower, the Autobots were cheering their victory, until they saw the sparkless shell of Prowl.

Lockdown almost ran to them, but Soundwave kept him back. Whatever Lockdown thought he felt: real grief; loss of one he respected, admired, hated, envied, or loved; or relief; it would do no good to draw attention to his presence. It was fortunate, perhaps, because then Soundwave had someone nearby when they saw Megatron was not in fact dead.

Lockdown couldn't guess what his companion felt. He didn't know the whole story, but he knew Megatron had created Soundwave's body for some purpose of his own, and Soundwave had spontaneously become sentient. He only dared call Megatron "father" when speaking through his avatar, and it sounded bitter when he did. But, Lockdown was catching on to the fact that Soundwave sometimes said things through his avatar that he would never otherwise, as if he pretended another person said the words.

Megatron, damaged, went up against the young Prime, again, and was defeated. His life was spared, but for one who would rather have died fighting, perhaps this was not truly kindness. 

Soundwave was not sure what he felt, so he called Slipstream.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

She was on Dinobot Island, as some called it, working on the large, purple, Omega Sentinel abandoned there. She had enough Starscream in her to understand how to deactivate the explosives and timer, though she hated to draw on these skills. They were so _him_. 

Had he finally gone offline? 

She received the comm from Soundwave, then spoke to the minions nearby: Soundwave's keytar-bat and guitar-condor. "Stay here. The risk of explosion is gone, but the Dinobots don't need to know that right now. I'll go to Soundwave."

It was a quick flight into the city, and she found Soundwave and Lockdown within the proximity of Sumdac Tower, looking toward a section of freeway ramp, where Autobots were moving about. She saw then the outcome of what the others had witnessed: Prowl's empty shell in the arms of his fellow ninja-bot, and Megatron broken and cuffed in Optimus' custody. 

She didn't laugh. 

Slipstream seemed to really notice Lockdown was near, then, but wasn't ready to speak to him. Instead she took Soundwave by the hand and walked around a building to get another vantage point on the retreating Autobots. 

"Do you _want_ us to rescue him?" She asked.

"His choice. He survived the explosion, could have retreated in smoke. He attacked the Autobots."

"That's not the same as answering the question," Slipstream sighed. She knew. She did the same thing frequently. 

"Should have known this Prime would not offline him."

"No," Slipstream said, though hesitantly, she had to drawn on the Starscream in her for this answer also. "He's been at war so long, our faction without access to the AllSpark or Vector Sigma, that he might not comprehend an Autobot not wanting him destroyed." She thought about this a while longer. "Optimus Prime might not be like normal Autobots, having been away from Cybertron so long."

"He should have been happy."

"Who?"

"Megatron. Starscream. That the AllSpark and Key did grant him new Decepticons."

"One would think." Slipstream ignored the part about Starscream, for the moment. She drew Soundwave against her side. "There's not much we can do for Megatron, anyway, especially while they have Omega Supreme online. But, we _might_ be able to even the odds. I left the little fliers on the island. The Supreme there: I deactivated the explosive device."

"We would need to determine if repairs are possible, and if it can be controlled- If it is sentient." 

"Exactly." Slipstream reached behind her back then brought her closed hand forward. In it were two AllSpark shards. She picked up just one, the slightly larger, and offered it to Soundwave. The second, she clutched in her hand once again.

"For the Supreme?"

"It has at least one, but in case it needs more...you can break-off what you need."

Soundwave understood. He could have what he needed. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Lockdown was set on giving Slipstream some time, but he wanted to talk to her. Soundwave had to know what they'd said. He heard everything. Yet, he hadn't changed his attitude toward Lockdown at all. Seeker was too temperamental for her own good sometimes. But, he could almost see her point. 

Wreck-gar came into view, still struggling with the cables. "You want some help with that?" Lockdown asked.

"My hero~" Wreck gar called as he skipped over. 

"Hardly," Lockdown told him, but he reached out and picked at the cables, finding the ends to untie the mass. When he had them loose, Lockdown stood looking down at the magnetic grappling lines. He'd so wanted the ones Optimus had. "You- you need these back?"

"Wreck-gar can make use of anything~ But, I do not need for anything~"

Lockdown looked at his hand, and his hook, holding the grappling lines. "You could make use of them."

"Lockdown." 

He looked up. Wreck-gar was no longer smiling, but standing very straight, with blank expression. "That's my name." He wasn't sure he'd told Wreck-gar that.

"Thank you." Wreck-gar didn't sound like himself, though it was his voice.

"T'was nothin'?" 

"Thank you for making sure I did not unintentionally take a life."

Lockdown went rigid with fear. He felt like his spark was shrinking. "Prowl?"

"I am glad Wreck-gar and those others live. It was my choice to surrender my spark, as Master Yoketron did before me."

Lockdown was speechless. This was really Prowl, talking through Wreck-gar?

"He was still alive when I found him, and I tried to save his life by using one of the remaining protoforms, but he chose to surrender his spark instead. He told me that we should never sacrifice the future to save the past."

"Sounds like Yoketron," Lockdown managed. 

"We are pleased you finally understood the cyber-koan that had been so difficult for you."

No way Prowl, or Wreck-gar for that matter, should know of that! Lockdown's spark twinged, he thought he might just go into spark arrest right here. Voices from the Well were speaking to him?

"Remember, Lockdown, it's the ninja-bot, _not_ the weapon." Then, as suddenly as it had come over him, Wreck-gar was himself again. "Never know when another bot might need saving~ Consider them a thank you gift~" Wreck-gar held up one hand and finger, as pointing out the imaginary lightbulb over his head, "I never finished collecting trash!" At that, he transformed, backed-up with a beeping noise, then drove away.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Slipstream flew over the area surrounding Sumdac Tower, looking for signs of Starscream, or his fallen shell. She spotted him, mainly for the impact crater of his fall; his shell had gone the color of the surrounding asphalt. 

Slipstream transformed and descended to the roadway. She approached slowly. There would not have been time to save him without losing herself and Ratbat. Still, it seemed a horrible way to go, even compared to all the many times Megatron had slagged him. At least he'd sorta gone down fighting.

Slipstream touched him, half afraid the shell would crumble, but it didn't. It was still metal, just dead. Neither hotter or colder than what surrounded it. Carefully, she manipulated his wings to turn his shell. He didn't look like himself. He looked like he could be any of them. Like he was merely in stasis. Peaceful. 

Slipstream groaned. "I know I am going to hate myself for this...."

She took out her last spare AllSpark fragment. Holding it in one hand, she forced the cockpit open. It gave with a creak. Slipstream pushed the AllSpark fragment into Starscream's chest, into the empty spark chamber.

She rose quickly and stepped back. She was determined to do this, but that didn't mean she wanted to deal with him if he should rise.

The color started to come back. Oh, slag, it was working. Slipstream retreated further. 

His optics lit. 

His face went from peaceful straight to obnoxious. "Honey! I'm Home!"

"Idiot." 

Starscream started demanding answers. What had happened? Where was he? Who was there? Then finally, "Slipstream?" 

"We're _even_!" She called back, then transformed and flew off. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Death's Head landed on Dinobot Island, near the fallen Lugnut Supreme. It's holographic cloak now resembled a new outcropping of rock. Lockdown exited from the airlock, as if from the entrance of a cave, and saw Slipstream, Soundwave and the pets moving atop the fallen behemoth. They had one of those construction bots with them.

Lockdown leapt up onto a leg then walked over its surface to join them. He sat down on some part of the torso, near where Slipstream was working on some open panel.

"Might be able to help. I've seen the insides of Autobots before." It was cloned from an Autobot, anyway.

"Your expertise is not in doubt."

"But you still doubt me."

He saw her nod.

"I'm sorry."

Slipstream looked up. "You just saying that?"

"I have a problem. With the upgrading. Mods."

Slipstream smiled. She touched his shin pipes. "Yeah. You _do_ , but admitting it's a start."

"Shouldn't have got so worked up about mods I thought they were the same- important- like bots I care about." He brought out the grappling lines, looked down at them. "Didn't take these. They were a gift. Maybe- I mean, I'd _like_ you to hold onto them for a while."

Slipstream reached out and took the lines. "Can't believe a badaft bounty-hunting-space-cowboy-ninja-bot _needs_ mods to get the job done."

Lockdown smirked; from her, that was a serious vote of confidence. "I don't."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I considered there being an epilogue, but I'm gonna call this one completed. Whatever might happen next can be told in a sequel. 
> 
> Thanks for reading! <3


End file.
